Comments on: Social norms marketing for addiction prevention http://addictionblog.org/body/social-norms-marketing-for-addiction-prevention/ "a" is for addiction Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:09:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Miranda http://addictionblog.org/body/social-norms-marketing-for-addiction-prevention/#comment-998 Miranda Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:42:25 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/social-norms-marketing-for-addiction-prevention/#comment-998 I think this is an excellent idea. I do marketing and communications for a D&A treatment center and so much for our work is disbanding myths and untruths about addiction. We put up an alcoholism survey on our website to try and get people to see that blacking out is not normal, when you family is expressing concerns; that is not normal, etc. In many circles (especially in youth) it is seen as a badge of honor to drink until you do crazy things, vomit, and even wet your own bed. "Ha, ha, that's awesome!" To be honest the bed wetting story is a personal recount from a group of adult co-workers at an old job I had. No joke. It was very sad to me. Celebrities glorify drunken behaviors, even using drugs. So do movies. And there is still such an unfortunate stigma of the "pathetic drunk" and the "dirty addict." No one wants to be in that category so they tell themselves it is not a problem. They seek reinforcement from their friend to tell them how cool it is to party so hard. And the simple truth is that so many people just do not know better. It is not talked about... we need to change that. We are changing that. I think this is an excellent idea. I do marketing and communications for a D&A treatment center and so much for our work is disbanding myths and untruths about addiction. We put up an alcoholism survey on our website to try and get people to see that blacking out is not normal, when you family is expressing concerns; that is not normal, etc. In many circles (especially in youth) it is seen as a badge of honor to drink until you do crazy things, vomit, and even wet your own bed. “Ha, ha, that’s awesome!” To be honest the bed wetting story is a personal recount from a group of adult co-workers at an old job I had. No joke. It was very sad to me.

Celebrities glorify drunken behaviors, even using drugs. So do movies. And there is still such an unfortunate stigma of the “pathetic drunk” and the “dirty addict.” No one wants to be in that category so they tell themselves it is not a problem. They seek reinforcement from their friend to tell them how cool it is to party so hard. And the simple truth is that so many people just do not know better. It is not talked about… we need to change that. We are changing that.

]]> By: Addiction Blog http://addictionblog.org/body/social-norms-marketing-for-addiction-prevention/#comment-972 Addiction Blog Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:13:20 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/social-norms-marketing-for-addiction-prevention/#comment-972 Thanks, Cole. I thought that the facts might arm the addict with some more fuel for addiction, too. Until I saw the well-chosen facts from recent polls from my university, known to be a party school. Things like 65% of all students have 0-5 drinks per week and 10% have none. And 96% of people don't get into fights when they are drinking. I think that researchers are there to ask the questions that they can turn around into positives...and from what I'm reading...it works! Check out this NPR article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95937183 Thanks, Cole. I thought that the facts might arm the addict with some more fuel for addiction, too. Until I saw the well-chosen facts from recent polls from my university, known to be a party school. Things like 65% of all students have 0-5 drinks per week and 10% have none. And 96% of people don’t get into fights when they are drinking. I think that researchers are there to ask the questions that they can turn around into positives…and from what I’m reading…it works! Check out this NPR article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95937183

]]> By: Cole http://addictionblog.org/body/social-norms-marketing-for-addiction-prevention/#comment-970 Cole Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:34:02 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/social-norms-marketing-for-addiction-prevention/#comment-970 This is an interesting idea. Personally, I had to be shown that it was not normal to behave the way that I was while in my addiction. As a matter of a fact, my girlfriend is a "normie" and I will never forget the first time that I went out with her and her friends. EVERYONE was normal. They all drank one, maybe one and a half, drinks and called it quits at midnight. It was the craziest thing ever! I have gotten more used to it and can see the effects that social norm marketing could have on the prevention of addiction. The only problem I see with social norm marketing is that the in college, and sometimes high school, the social norm is using drugs, particularly alcohol. It is hard to convince someone that it is not normal to drink as much as they do when 80% (that statistic is fabricated, but probably close to the truth) of their class is talking about it the next day. The addict may seek the fringes of society but probably not intentionally. Initially, the idea is to "fit in" with the crowd. However, as the disease progresses, society casts the problematic user to the fringes, perhaps rightfully so. Many people gather here on the outskirt of normal society because that is the sub-culture that fits them. It is a lot easier to change your friends than it is to change your behavior. This is an interesting idea. Personally, I had to be shown that it was not normal to behave the way that I was while in my addiction. As a matter of a fact, my girlfriend is a “normie” and I will never forget the first time that I went out with her and her friends. EVERYONE was normal. They all drank one, maybe one and a half, drinks and called it quits at midnight. It was the craziest thing ever! I have gotten more used to it and can see the effects that social norm marketing could have on the prevention of addiction. The only problem I see with social norm marketing is that the in college, and sometimes high school, the social norm is using drugs, particularly alcohol. It is hard to convince someone that it is not normal to drink as much as they do when 80% (that statistic is fabricated, but probably close to the truth) of their class is talking about it the next day. The addict may seek the fringes of society but probably not intentionally. Initially, the idea is to “fit in” with the crowd. However, as the disease progresses, society casts the problematic user to the fringes, perhaps rightfully so. Many people gather here on the outskirt of normal society because that is the sub-culture that fits them. It is a lot easier to change your friends than it is to change your behavior.

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