Meet us where we are: non-Indigenous young peoples’ ideas on how to reduce alcohol-related harm in Mparntwe (Alice Springs)

Abstract

Meet us where we are: non-Indigenous young peoples’ ideas on how to reduce alcohol-related harm in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) Timothy A. Carey,3, * Mikaela Cibich,1 Margaret Carey,1 Sonia Hines1,2 1 Flinders Rural and Remote Health, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, NT, Australia 2 Mparntwe Centre for Evidence in Health, Flinders University: A JBI Centre of Excellence, Alice Springs, NT, Australia 3 WACHS Curtin Research and Innovation Alliance, Curtin University, Australia Submitted: 21 January 2023; Revision requested: 15 September 2023; Accepted: 21 September 2023 Abstract Objective: This research sought to understand the strategies young people in a remote central Australian town believed would reduce alcohol related harms amongst their peers. Methods: A total of 38 non-Indigenous residents of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), aged between 14 and 18 years, participated in focus groups at their school. Participants discussed strategies they thought would reduce alcohol-related harms among people their age. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants suggested that young peoples’ drinking behaviour developed with peers. Through social learning in peer groups, drinking alcohol was perceived as fun and normal. Participants indicated a willingness to learn about strategies to stay safe around alcohol. Their ideas for doing so reflected their existing social methods of learning about alcohol: having comfortable conversations and storytelling with a small group of peers and a relatable role model. Conclusions: Young residents of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) advised that alcohol-related harm reduction strategies would be most effective if focussed on safety, rather than abstinence, and applied social-learning strategies. Implications for Public Health: Young people value their burgeoning self-determination. Youth health interventions must engage youth in intervention co-design and aim to assist young people to make safer decisions, rather than making decisions on their behalf. Key words: youth, alcohol, rural, focus group, Northern Territory