The Big Drink Debate

What was it?
We wanted to get the North East thinking and talking about alcohol. To do this we launched a six week debate to get to get to the heart of the issues and to find out what the region and our communities really thought about alcohol.

What we did
We wanted to get as many people involved as possible – and we did just that. We spoke to thousands of North Easterners to get their views and gain an insight into their relationships with alcohol.

As well as face-to-face discussions, we encouraged members of the public to fill in a questionnaire to record their thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards alcohol and the effects it has on the North East.

During the campaign 12,524 drinkers and non-drinkers completed the anonymous questionnaire, which asked people about drinking alcohol – the where, the why, the who, the what...

The questionnaire was printed by the region’s media. On street teams also helped people complete questionnaires in towns and cities and we had presence at major regional events. A high profile TV advertising campaign also ran on Tyne Tees and we also used Twitter to support the campaign and gain feedback.

All the information gathered through the survey was used to inform our plans and local alcohol strategies so that in the region we have healthier people living in safer communities.

Vital stats
The Big Drink Debate revealed that in the North East in 2009:

• 87% of the North East population drank alcohol.

• Drinking two to three times a week was most typical amongst North East drinkers, cited by over 1 in 3.

• 30% of those who drank alcohol in the North East do not typically do so on a weekday.

• Approximately half of North East residents purchased alcohol most often in supermarkets.

• A quarter of people drank alcohol to forget worries and concerns.

• 1 in 5 people drank alcohol purely to get drunk.

Impact
During the campaign 12,524 drinkers and non-drinkers completed the questionnaire - against a target of 7,000 responses. It was an award winning press campaign, recognised for its strong media relations and community by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

What people said
John Collingwood, 29, of Dunston, Gateshead

“It’s really good to get people thinking about how much alcohol they consume on a daily and weekly basis. People often aren’t aware of how much they have as they could be drinking while relaxing at home and aren’t really counting their units. This debate will make people look at their drinking habits and perhaps reassess how much they consume.”