Drink Squawk

A video leaving viewers with the message ”too many drinks, and you’re a galah”,  by new police advertising campaign that targets binge drinking has been attacked as unrealistic and ineffective by lobby groups for Canberra’s nightclubs, pub, and clubs.

The ad shows drunk youths in galah costumes acting obnoxiously, throwing up and getting into fights.

The advertisement, however, had some success at the weekend’s Skyfire event, with far fewer teenagers caught underage drinking than in previous years, although one 16-year-old recorded a blood alcohol level of 0.315; but is nevertheless not a hit with the the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) and ClubsACT.

“The new clip from ACT policing includes mixed poor messages and is unlikely to have any impact on excessive drinking”, AHA ACT general manager Gwyn Rees says adding that it presents a stark choice between binge drinking and no alcohol at all.

The ad shows drunk youths in galah costumes acting obnoxiously, throwing up and getting into fights. “Whilst the message is too many drinks is bad, it also conveys a message that the choice confronting young people is either have no alcohol at all or having too much turns you into a squawking parrot.” Rees says.

Chief executive Jeff House, of Clubs ACT, asks for a more encouraging and sophisticated campaign exemplifying moderate drinking and looking after friends while out of town. “The advertising needs to be smart enough to actually educate the target audience with the issue of excessive drinking”.

ACT Chief Police Officer Roman Quaedvlieg says, “We’re not particularly targeting the customer base of the AHA and ClubsACT for that matter,” he said.

“What we’re targeting is those youth that pre-load either from off-licences or at home before they come to Skyfire and play up.”

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