QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTIONS AND

RESULTS

WHAT IS YOUR GENDER?

Male Female Other

Gender

Male Female Other

WHICH AGE RANGE DO YOU FIT INTO?

15-20 21-25 26-30 31+

Age

15-20 21-25 26-30 31+

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE A DRINK CONTAINING ALCOHOL?

Never 1-2 Times A Week 3-4 Times A Week 5+ Times A Week

 Times Per Week

Never 1 -2 times
3-4 times 5+ times

IF YOU HAVE AN ALCOHOLIC DRINK, DO YOU CHECK THE UNITS?

Yes No Sometimes I Don’t Drink

Units

Yes No
Sometimes I don't drink

WHY DID YOU START CONSUMING ALCOHOL?

I Never Have Peer Pressure Curiosity Influenced By An Adult

Reason Why

I never have Peer pressure

Curiosity Adult influence
DO YOU DRINK TO GET DRUNK?

Yes No Sometimes

To get drunk?

Yes No Sometimes

ARE YOU AWARE OF YOUR OWN LIMITS? (DO YOU KNO W WHEN TO STOP DRI NKI NG)

Yes No Yes, But I Don’t Pay Attention

Do you know your

limits?

Yes No Pay no attention

DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR DRINKING HABITS A PROBLEM OR OUT OF

CONTROL?

Yes No
 Do you think your
habits are a
problem?

Yes No

HAVE YOU HAD ANY NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES WHILST UNDER THE

INFLUENCE?

Yes No Rather Not Say

Any negative
experiences?

Yes No Rather not say

ALCOHOLISM RESEARCH:

METHODS AND SOURCES OF RESEARCH (PRIMARY):

Questionnaires- From my questionnaire, I have found that within

the 15-20 age group from the people I have asked, the most
common drinking habits tend to be drinking drinks containing
alcohol once or twice a week, not checking the units of the drinks
they are consuming, drinking to get drunk and not paying
attention to their personal limits which ended with 6 out of the 10
people I asked having a negative experience whilst being under
the influence of alcohol, yet they do not consider their drinking
habits a problem. I think by asking the questions I did I was able to get a good idea about
the habits and routines involving alcohol. As well as the majority results I found out, there
were also the anomalous results such as the two completed questionnaires I got back saying
that they do not drink. All the responses were just as important as it meant I could easily spot
the trends and patterns. As I only asked people within the same age group this meant I
couldn’t compare to other ages however as I need to look at
alcoholism around my age group this isn’t a problem.

Types of questions- The types of questions I asked were all closed

questions so that the people filling in the questions didn’t have to
think too hard and so that my results would be easier to compare as
there a limited number of responses that could have been given.
Sometimes with open ended questions the responses that are given
are less than desirable as people just go for the easiest option for example, one word
answers or the responses given are irrelevant. With closed questions, it is quicker for them to
fill in and means I only get the responses that I need.

METHODS AND SOURCES OF RESEARCH (SECONDARY):

Article- I found an article online talking about the dangers of binge drinking and not paying
attention to the units in a drink. This article is relevant to my research as it links to my
questionnaire and fits the age group my research is aimed at. This article is from the
perspective of a doctor which I think is important as it shows how serious alcohol can be
when not consumed responsibly. It also talks about the link to death in teenagers and
although not a direct cause, alcohol is often a leading factor.

‘“Many of the teens I care for are not measuring alcohol as we would,” Dr. Hadland said.
“They’ll tell me oh, just one or two drinks, but if you drill down you realize each of those may
have four or five ounces of hard liquor.” Researchers define a drink as containing 12 ounces
of beer, five ounces of wine or one-and-a-half ounces of hard liquor.

Dr. Hadland also uses hist conversations with young patients to talk about the consequences
of heavy drinking. The top three causes of death in adolescence are motor vehicle crashes,
homicide and suicide, and he said alcohol can be a contributing factor in all three.
The long-term dangers of heavy drinking may be harder for adolescents to grasp, he said,
though starting to drink young puts you at risk for long-term addiction. Over the long haul,
heavy drinking is linked to many other kinds of illness, from liver disease and heart disease to
cancer.’

World Wide Web- Using the key words ‘alcohol and teenagers’ I found an endless list of
results from facts to statistics to articles. Each link brought me to a different site containing
some relevant information about alcohol. The website I found the most helpful was:
“http://alcoholeducationtrust.org/teacher-area/facts-figures/” although all the facts weren’t
strictly linked to alcohol and teenagers they were all quite hard hitting facts that should be
known such as:

 35% of all Accident & Emergency (A&E) attendance and ambulance costs may be
alcohol related in England
 Males accounted for approximately two-thirds of the total number of alcohol-related deaths
in 2014 in the UK.
 In 2014, 240 people were killed in drink drive accidents, accounting for 13.5% of all road
deaths in Great Britain.
 For 16 – 24-year olds, 21% of deaths in males and 9% of deaths in females have been
attributed to alcohol consumption.
 53% of all victims of violence said their attacker was affected by alcohol at the time. It is
estimated that there were 704,000 violent alcohol related incidents in 2013/14.
 Alcohol misuse is a factor in 30% of suicides each year.

For credibility, there was proof from where the facts were lifted from to prove that they
weren’t just made up which can be a problem when researching online.

As well as looking to the internet for facts you

can also look to the internet for help and
support, with websites like
“http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/alcohol” it
offers the fats and knowledge on various
different drugs as well as alcohol and it also
offers help to those who may feel like they have
a problem. The website has a live chat section
as well as a page for links for people to follow
as well as numbers for people to call. TalkToFrank is a government funded website which
means it doesn’t cost the public to use, its free for anyone to look at.

TYPES OF RESEARCH: QUANTITATIVE

Web Hits- As mentioned above, the website TalkToFrank is a

great website to look at when looking for advice or support. In
their ‘site policy’ page they talk about how they use web hits
to see which parts of their website are the most popular to
see what it is that people go to them for. This is helpful for
them as they can see where people are spending the most
time on their website so the site can keep these pages the
most informative and up to date. It also helps to show them which of the pages aren’t as
popular which gives them the opportunity to look at those pages and see whether there’s
anything wrong with them that could be effecting the number of hits. Their official words are
“We also collect information automatically each time you visit the site. This information,
which includes parts of the site visited, is only used as aggregate information, not as
individual information.” “We also use the aggregate information about visitors' site usage
patterns to enable us to see how popular different parts of the site are with our visitors,
helping us decide how best to further develop the site.”

It is important that they let the users know that what they go on is looked at and recorded jut
so they are aware of this.

TYPES OF RESEARCH: QUALITATIVE

Film reviews- I searched through many different films that all

had the main topic around alcohol. Some of them tended
to focus on the more fun aspects of alcohol rather than the
reality of it. Through looking at reviews I found ‘My Name Is
Joe’ which is about an ex alcoholic trying to get his life back
to together but as things in his life start to fall apart he
encounters relapse with his problems with alcohol. I found
this to be an important topic to cover as it shows that once
someone is in recovery from alcohol problems or has even
recovered, they can still slip up and go back to their old
ways. Although not about the age group my research is
intended for, I still think it’s important as it shows what the
future can hold for those who struggle with alcohol now.

Out of over 6,000 reviews on IMDB it has been given 7.5 stars
out of 10. One reviewer who gave the film 9 stars
congratulated the film on its realism and left this review: “"Why do people go to see Ken
Loach films?" I would suggest that people go to see Ken Loach films because they're
interested in society, interested in how people live, and keen to see films about REAL people
i.e. people who aren't rich and beautiful and don't live in charming pieds a terre in Chelsea
... My Name is Joe is at the same time heartwarming and heartbreaking, making you feel
good about the characters whilst thanking your lucky stars that you don't live the lives they
do. Go and see it with an open mind and a thirst for realism.”

Responses to alcohol and advertising- When it comes to

alcohol and advertisements there are strict guidelines they
must follow in order to not promote alcohol in an irresponsible
way. Obviously it’s difficult as no matter the product,
advertisements are meant to make the product look as good
as possible but it’s important with alcohol that it is made very clear to the public to only
consume it if you are of the right age and are going to do it responsibly. On the ASA website
it is made clear that “Ads for alcoholic drinks must not feature, imply, condone or encourage
irresponsible or immoderate drinking.” Throughout the years, changes to the way the
guidelines have been worded have been made to ensure that alcohol is advertised in the
least persuading way for example “The rules controlling broadcast advertising content of
alcohol advertisements were strengthened in 2005, particularly with the intention of
protecting the young in the four areas where they may be considered vulnerable to alcohol
misuse: sexual behaviour, immoderate drinking, youth appeal and anti-social behaviour.
They have been amended in the new Code to bring about greater consistency between TV
and Radio. The new rules also now apply to all drinks, including those with a low-alcohol
content which were previously exempted from a number of rules. There are now only two
exceptions for low-alcohol drinks.”

According to the ASA the rules are:

 Advertisements must not feature, imply, condone or encourage irresponsible or

immoderate drinking. That applies to both the amount of drink and the way drinking is
portrayed.
References to, or suggestions of, buying repeat rounds of alcoholic drinks are not
acceptable. That does not prevent, for example, someone buying a drink for each
member of a group. It does, however, prevent any suggestion that other members of
the group will buy a round.
 Advertisements must neither imply that alcohol can contribute to an individual’s
popularity or confidence nor imply that alcohol can enhance personal qualities.
 Advertisements must not imply that drinking alcohol is a key component of social
success or acceptance or that refusal is a sign of weakness. Advertisements must not
imply that the success of a social occasion depends on the presence or consumption
of alcohol.
 Advertisements must not link alcohol with daring, toughness, aggression or unruly,
irresponsible or antisocial behaviour.
 Advertisements must not link alcohol with sexual activity, sexual success or seduction
or imply that alcohol can enhance attractiveness. That does not preclude linking
alcohol with romance or flirtation.
 Advertisements must not portray alcohol as indispensable or as taking priority in life.
Advertisements must not imply that drinking can overcome problems or that regular
solitary drinking is acceptable.
 Advertisements must not imply that alcohol has therapeutic qualities. Alcohol must
not be portrayed as capable of changing mood, physical condition or behaviour or
as a source of nourishment. Although they may refer to refreshment, advertisements
must not imply that alcohol can improve any type of performance.

 Advertisements may give factual information about the alcoholic strength of a drink.
They may also make a factual alcohol strength comparison with another product, but
only when the comparison is with a higher strength product of a similar beverage.
Advertisements must not imply that a drink may be preferred because of its alcohol
content or intoxicating effect. There is an exception for low-alcohol drinks, which may
be presented as preferable because of their low alcoholic strength.
In the case of a drink with relatively high alcoholic strength in relation to its category,
the factual information should not be given undue emphasis.
 Advertisements may include alcohol sales promotions but must not imply, condone or
encourage immoderate drinking.
 Advertisements must not feature alcohol being handled or served irresponsibly.

 Advertisements must not link alcohol with the use of potentially dangerous machinery
or driving.
 Advertisements may feature sporting and other physical activities (subject to other
rules in this section) but must not imply that those activities have been undertaken
after the consumption of alcohol.
 Advertisements must not normally show alcohol being drunk by anyone in their
working environment.
  Alcohol advertisements must not: be likely to appeal strongly to people under 18,
especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture or showing adolescent
or juvenile behaviour include a person or character whose example is likely to be
followed by those aged under 18 years or who has a strong appeal to those aged
under 18.

It is important that people are aware of the rules and guidelines so that if they find
anything that goes against these, they can report it.

AUDIENCE RESEARCH:

Age- I searched for some correlations between

the age my research is aimed at (14-21) and
alcohol. Some of the facts I found were:

 8% had drunk alcohol in the last week

 22% of those who had drunk alcohol in
the past week had drunk 15 units or more in
that week
 In England, there are an estimated
595,131 dependent drinkers, of whom only 108,696 are currently accessing treatment.
 Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including: mouth,
throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers; high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver;
and depression
 In 2014, 38% of school pupils (aged 11-15) said that they had drunk alcohol at least
once, down from 62% in 1988. Of these, 8% of 11 year-olds reporting ever having
drunk alcohol, compared to 69% of 15 year-olds.
 1% of 11 year-olds and 18% of 15 year-olds report drinking in the previous week. Mean
consumption for 14 year-olds who report drinking in the previous week is 11.3 units.
 By age 15, about 33 percent of teens have had at least 1 drink.
 By age 18, about 60 percent of teens have had at least 1 drink.
 In 2015, 7.7 million young people ages 12–20 reported that they drank alcohol
beyond “just a few sips” in the past month.
 1.3 million young people reported binge drinking on 5 or more days over the past
month.

Gender- As my researched is aimed at anyone no matter the gender, I looked for the
trends between the different genders and their relation to alcohol. Some of the facts I
found were:

 Girls were more likely to report having been drunk than boys (10%, compared
with 7%)
 Males accounted for approximately 65% of all alcohol-related deaths in the
UK in 2014.
 Women in all age groups were consistently more likely to have stopped
drinking than men were.
 New data released today from the Partnership for a Drug Free America
suggest that not only are girls now drinking more than boys, they turn to drugs
and alcohol for more serious reasons.
 women who are divorced or separated tend to abuse alcohol more often
than their married or widowed counterparts.
  Binge drinking in women (defined as at least 5 drinks per occasion, during at
least 5 days out of the month) is most common in women aged 18 to 25.

I think it is important to look at some of the facts for both age and gender to
see how they are effected by alcohol as it shows that despite what some
people think, some age groups and genders are more vulnerable to problems
with alcohol than others. This is important to know so that the correct help can
be given to those who need it the most. It is also important to remember that
as scientifically accurate the facts may be, there are always anomalies which
mean that just because statistically, someone isn’t in danger of having a
problem with alcohol, it doesn’t mean that they can’t end up with a problem.

MARKET RESEARCH:

Advertising- As I have found out the importance of following the ASA’s rules and guidelines
when advertising alcohol, I decided to look at some of the banned adverts and why they
were banned.

 The first one I looked at was a YouTube advert for Strongbow. It's based on a
character called Carl who wins the "Best Strongbow as my other half" award at a
spoof ceremony. In an acceptance message, he praises the drink saying: "I love you.
I've loved you since the first day I met you. And I always will do. My dear Strongbow.
“The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled it implied alcohol was
"indispensable”. Heineken, which owns the cider brand, had argued it was a "tongue-
in-cheek parody”. It said saying viewers were "highly unlikely" to seriously believe it
portrayed Strongbow as a life essential. The video's now been deleted four years after
it was first posted, following a complaint by the Youth Alcohol Advertising Council
and charity Alcohol Concern.
 There was one advert banned for implying that drinking
the drink could give you confidence. The ASA had
complaints from three people who said the poster
implied drinking beer would give the man pictured
confidence to either make negative comments about
the woman or take advantage of her.
 In 2013, Heineken had an advert banned as it was found
to have condoned illegal drinking.Its TV ad showed alcohol being drunk at a stadium
in sight of a football pitch (which is a crime in case you didn't know).It also showed
glass bottles being brought into a football stadium - which isn't allowed either.

PRODUCTION AND COSTS:

When producing the programme to promote the importance of responsible drinking in

teenagers, it is important that I keep track of the budget that I have. In total I have £35,000
and that is to be spent on props, people and time.

I think a good person to represent what the truth behind the programme
would be Bradley Cooper as he has had first hand experiences with alcohol
and is relevant with my target audience. Bradley Cooper, now sober for
close to a decade, has spoken openly about his addictions negatively
impacting the amount of work he was receiving, and how the realization
that he may not work altogether helped him to get sober. As he is very
popular, I know it would be expensive to hire him but I think it would be a necessary cost.

I would also need to take into consideration the equipment I would need to use and whether
I would buy it, or hire it.

CONCLUSION:

To conclude, I think the technique of using many different methods of research (including
primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative) to look into my topic of alcoholism and
teenagers helped me gain a better understanding of the topic. I was able to find out a lot
more than I would have been able to if I just replied on either one type of research or one
source or data. By having the knowledge and research that I have now I think that I will be
able to create a successful programme and presentation based around the dangers of
alcohol and teenagers.