What's your poison?

Campaign background

The ‘What’s your poison?’ campaign prompts people to reconsider the common phrase by showing that when a person drinks alcohol, the body converts it to acetaldehyde, a poison.

It explains that every drink converts to more poison, increasing the damage, and increasing the risk of cancer. The campaign calls for Western Australian adults to reduce their drinking to reduce the damage.

The campaign was developed in consultation with over 130 Western Australian adults, guided by experts in public health, research and social marketing. 

A series of assets targeting Western Australian Seniors, aged 65 years and over, were added to the campaign in May 2025.

The campaign is a joint initiative by the Mental Health Commission and Cancer Council WA, supported by Healthway and is part of the WA Government’s state-wide strategy to prevent and reduce harm caused by alcohol. It is the fifth instalment of the Alcohol and Health campaign stream since the Alcohol. Think Again program commenced in 2010.

Target audience

• Primary target audience: All adults in Western Australia.
• Secondary target audience: Adults who exceed the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Australian Alcohol Guideline.¹
• Tertiary target audience: Western Australian Seniors, aged 65 years and over.

Campaign objectives

• Increase awareness about how alcohol causes harm to health.
• Increase awareness among adults that their current drinking can impact their health.
• Increase intention, confidence and self-reported action to reduce alcohol use.

Evidence to support the campaign

The need

• Around one in three adults (33%) who drink alcohol exceed the NHMRC’s Australian Alcohol Guideline.²
• Nearly two out of three WA adults (63%) who drink above the Guideline consider the amount they drink to be ‘OK’.³ 
• Only just over half of WA adults (57%) are confident that alcohol is poison³
• On average, 3 West Australians die from cancer caused by alcohol each week in WA.⁴

Your body converts alcohol to poison

Alcohol has toxic effects on cells, tissues and organs in the body. This is caused by:

Ethanol

• Ethanol is the main component of alcohol. Ethanol is a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it is a known cause of cancer, in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.⁵

Acetaldehyde (pronounced a-suh-tal-duh-hide)

• When your body breaks down alcohol, it is converted to acetaldehyde, a highly toxic chemical and Group 1 carcinogen.³ Acetaldehyde damages DNA in cells and stops them from repairing the damage. This can build up and cause irreversible damage which can lead to cancer. ^6,7
• Acetaldehyde is around 10 times more toxic than ethanol.⁸ High levels of acetaldehyde in the body can cause headaches, nausea, increased heart rate, and facial flushing; symptoms commonly associated with a hangover.⁹
• Over 90% of alcohol is broken down and converted to acetaldehyde by enzymes in the liver. A small amount of alcohol is broken down in the mouth, stomach and intestines.
• Your body can only metabolise around one standard drink of alcohol per hour. The more you drink, the more your body is exposed to the damaging effects of acetaldehyde.

There is no safe level of alcohol

• Alcohol causes cancer in at least seven sites of the body:¹⁰
  • breast
  • bowel
  • mouth
  • larynx (voice box)
  • oesophagus (food pipe)
  • pharynx (upper throat)
  • liver
• Even drinking small amounts of alcohol increases your risk of developing cancer. The more you drink and the more often you drink, the greater your risk. ¹¹
• Alcohol is directly linked to over 40 medical conditions, including heart disease, stroke, liver disease, mental health conditions, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.¹²

• The NHMRC's Australian Alcohol Guidelines¹ recommend no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any day to reduce the risk of alcohol-related disease and injury. The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm.
• Healthy adults who stick to the Australian Alcohol Guidelines have less than a 1 in 100 chance of dying from an alcohol-related condition.
• The Guideline can help Australians to make informed decisions about how much alcohol they drink, if any.

Media strategy

To be updated by Izzie

Campaign resources

Television commercials

30 and 15 seconds

Online videos

 6 and 15 seconds (WA Seniors)

If you would like to download the radio commercials, please contact as at campaigns@mhc.gov.au.

Outdoor advertising

Scroll sideways

Large format

Large format

Small format

Primary social media video assets - Reel Format (9x16)

Targeted social media video assets - Reel Format (9x16)

Message 1: "Even small reductions in your drinking can make a difference. Try switching to low or no alcohol options." Message 2: "Drinking less can boost your mood, you might be surprised by how good you feel."	Message 1: "Drinking less can lead to a better night sleep. Your body will thank you." Message 2: "Drinking less can save you money, how would you treat yourself?"	Message 1: "Challenge yourself to reduce your drinking. Start with a mall change in your routine." Message 2: "Thinking about reducing your drinking? Why not plan a few alcohol -free days a week."

Static social media assets - Story (9x16) and Feed (1x1) Format 

Facebook: Alcohol.Think.Again

Instagram: @alcohol.thinkagain_wa 

Click here to access the social media posts

Publications

These resources are available to download or can be ordered as hard copies free for use in Western Australia from the Alcohol. ThinkAgain website.

Campaign poster	Campaign poster	Campaign poster
How alcohol can damage your body poster	Standard drinks A4 fact sheet	Tips to reduce your drinking brochure
Alcohol and your health brochure

Adapting the materials and branding

If your organisation would like to partner with Alcohol. Think Again to develop additional resources to support local activities, please get in touch with us at: campaigns@mhc.wa.gov.au

Co-branding

The Alcohol. Think Again logo is a registered trademark and must not be used without prior permission from the Mental Health Commission. Any use of the Alcohol. Think Again logo or branding outside these campaign materials requires approval.

Please provide the following information to campaigns@mhc.wa.gov.au:

• Purpose of the publication/materials
• Target audience
• Key messages you are intending to communicate
• Where/how the resource will be used
• How long it will be used for
• When you need approval by

Disclaimer

The resources and materials within this toolkit are designed for the purpose of supporting local alcohol and other drug prevention and health promotion activities in Western Australia. These materials should not be used in such a way or associated with a brand, service or organisation that may reduce the effectiveness and/or integrity of the materials; may damage the reputation of the Alcohol. Think Again brand, or supports, promotes or utilises sponsorship by companies that produce or promote alcohol beverage products or brands. Contact the Community Support and Development Program Team for assistance in interpreting the appropriate use of these materials. 

Email: communityprograms@mhc.wa.gov.au