Beat da-binge-project

Beat Da binge.

Ian Patterson

Gregory Fourmile.

Yarrabah

The Yarrabah Beat Da Binge project. Traditional home to the Gunghangi people

Thanks to

The beauty of Yarrabah.

The dangers of Yarrabah

The Dangers

Death adders

Bird eating spiders

Scorpions

Other local wildlife

But what about the other dangers in the community??.

The Yarrabah Beat Da Binge project. The laws set in place to restrict alcohol in the

community, actually strengthened the already present binge drinking culture amongst our youth.

YARRABAH BEAT DA BINGE.

What was Beat Da Binge? A two-year project from April 2010 to prevent harm

from binge drinking for Yarrabah young people;

Aimed to relieve boredom, lack of hope and anger and promote self-empowerment, achievement and pride;

Young people aged 12-24 years but activities were designed to include all community members;

Two major events and twelve minor activities, with alcohol harm reduction messages.

Why Beat Da Binge was developed Concern about binge drinking among young people

after closure of CDEP in Yarrabah in July 2009;

Binge drinking occurred at parties on dole days and for coming of age celebrations for 18 and 21 year olds;

Funding through the National Binge Drinking Strategy in September 2009.

We can no longer afford to just sit on the side lines and watch our people be destroyed by this poison.

Bringing experts together Local community organisations experience

Developing a research partnership

Engaging young people

Understanding the local situation 1. Was Beat da Binge likely to work?

2. How could we know?

Words from a community member “Having the whole of community focus, you make it the whole community’s responsibility, not just one organisation. And really it is because the effects of drinking then goes out to every organisation, whether its health related, whether its by-laws, you know breaking by-laws, alcohol management plan policing, all the law and justice, it’s all involved. So having everyone involved and making it a community responsibility - I think was a better approach.”

Getting the message out Holding events

Young people taking control

Sustaining interest

Reframing the approach What does “boredom” mean?

Supporting young people's meaning and purpose

Where to from here?

• Collaboration to improve the project design and implementation, and create new understandings of the local situation;

• The steering committee engaged young people to organise events to get the message out and to deliver the survey;

• Yarrabah young people advocated to reframe the approach towards mentoring for education, employment and training.

The results speak for themselves!

Males 50% Females 50% (107) (109)

Total= 218

Beginning of Beat da Binge

Young people surveyed

Beat da Binge- Yarrabah

Average age = 21.2 years (18-24) Average fortnightly income = $ 498

• 19% completed further

education training/qualifications since school

Young people surveyed


Main weekday activity • 51% Home related (unemployed) • 30% unknown


Main weekday activity

• 12% Employed (full-time/part-time/casual)

• 6% Training

Alcohol drinking


Drinking in a single session 22% drank 4 beers- weekly 42% drank 4 cans UDL- weekly 35% drank ¼ bottle of spirits- weekly 9% drank big glass (425ml) wine - weekly

• 79% of young people drank alcohol • 70% Binge drank alcohol • (88% of alcohol drinkers binge drank) • 18% of young people did not drink

alcohol

Binge drinkers spent $98 on average at each drinking session


What changed since Beat da Binge activities and alcohol awareness?


• Community binge drinkers decreased by 10% (from 70% to 60%) (red men)

• Alcohol drinkers increased by 2% (from 79% to 81%)

• Of the alcohol drinkers, those who binged decreased by 14% (from 88% to 74%)

• Young people who did not drink alcohol decreased by 2% from 18% to 16%

Binge drinkers spent $12 less per drinking session, from $98 to $86

Binge drinking reduced by 10% (1 in 10 people)

What changed since Beat da Binge activities and alcohol awareness?


More people (30% more) knew what binge drinking was (from 26% to 54%) More people (21% more) knew what a standard drink measure was (from 41% to 62%) Fewer social activities (7% less) included alcohol (from 43% to 36%)

Binge drinking knowledge increased by 30% (3 in 10 people)

Other results identified Health promotion worked.( majority of this project

was around promotion at every event sponsored .

Gindaja Received the National Award of “Excellence in services for young people “ in 2013 at Canberra.

Thanks to Gindaja Treatment and Healing Centre

Partner organisations

Yarrabah young people

Research partners JCU

Government & Nonprofit

Beat da-binge-project