We all need to say no

Campaign background

The ‘We all need to say no’ campaign aims to raise awareness that no one should give alcohol to under 18s and calls for parents to join the 2 out of 3 already saying ‘no’.

Research with WA parents shows they commonly overestimate how many other parents give alcohol to under 18s, and this perception influences their own decision making. WA parents have said they want to feel supported and empowered in their decision to say ‘no’.

This campaign was developed in consultation with parents and carers and young people in WA, and guided by experts in public health, medicine, research, and social marketing.

The campaign is a joint initiative of the Mental Health Commission and Cancer Council WA, and part of the state-wide strategy to reduce harms from alcohol among young people in Western Australia.

'We all need to say no’ launched on 3 July 2022, along with a dedicated website. 

Evidence to support the campaign

• The Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommends that children and people under 18 should not drink alcohol to reduce the risk of injury and other harms to health.
• One quarter (24.4%) of young people in WA report parents as being their most common source of alcohol supply.
• The is no evidence that giving children or teenagers alcohol under parental supervision helps protect them against risky drinking.
• Young people who start drinking before the age of 18 are more likely to experience harm from alcohol and develop problems with alcohol later in life.
• The teenage brain is particularly sensitive to alcohol and continues to develop until around age 25.

Key message

No one should give alcohol to under 18s.

Target audience

Parents and carers of young people aged 12 to 17 years old in Western Australia.

Campaign objectives 

1. Increase awareness that children and young people under 18 should not drink alcohol.
2. Increase the proportion of parents who consider it inappropriate to give alcohol to under 18s.
3. Reduce the inflated perception that other parents give alcohol to under 18s.
4. Decrease the proportion of parents who supply alcohol to under 18s.