An innovative campaign has been launched to ensure young teenagers have the confidence and information they need to make safe decisions about alcohol consumption.
Wreckedlastnight.com is the first campaign of its kind as it is based on the alcohol-related concerns of hundreds of 14 to 16-year-olds, who were asked to say honestly why they chose to drink alcohol, or not, and their reasons behind those decisions.
Most of the teenagers who chose not to drink alcohol did so because of a risk of harm to their health or personal safety and for fear of causing embarrassment to themselves or others, as they had heard stories from the drunken nights of others.
Using this insight, partner agencies across Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent joined forces with Ethos Creative and launched wreckedlastnight.com.
The campaign has been directly inspired, shaped and informed by the very same people it will now go on to support and inform.
Wreckedlastnight.com includes messages delivered via 3D cinema adverts and website, with free 3D glasses being handed out to young people across the region. There will also be bus and billboard adverts to raise awareness and generate interest.
Teenagers who visit wreckedlastnight.com also have the chance to put their new-found knowledge to the test, by entering a prize draw quiz in which they can win their share of £1,000 in Apple vouchers.
Local Government and Communities Minister, Carl Sargeant said: “This campaign spells out the dangers of underage drinking and reinforces the Welsh Government’s substance misuse strategy.
“Preventing harm is a key action in our strategy and this includes helping children, young people and adults to resist or reduce substance misuse by providing them with information about the damage that substance misuse can cause to their health, their families and the wider community.”
Underage drinking, particularly binge drinking involving excessive quantities of alcohol, remains a priority issue, with concerns relating to the risks it presents, such as health, sexual health, mental health, as well as personal safety and other issues.
This has lead to the frontline agencies that work across the four areas under the “umbrella” of Community Safety Partnerships* coming together to deliver wreckedlastnight.com as a regional approach to a shared issue.
Supported by Welsh Government funding, the main aim of the campaign is to catch the imagination and attention of young adults and direct them to the bright, informative 3D website where they can secure the facts and further information they need to make the right decisions.
As well as the 3D information and advertising, wreckedlastnight.com will also be supported by staff working with 14 to 16-year-olds across the region, including teachers, youth workers, detached youth workers and more, ensuring as many people as possible get involved in the campaign.
