Eight councils will receive funding to develop ways to tackle risky alcohol cultures in their community.
Download the media release.
The projects, funded through stage one of VicHealth’s Alcohol Culture Change Initiative for Local Councils, will test VicHealth’s new approach to preventing harm from alcohol through alcohol culture change.
Successful Councils will work with researchers and the community to design initiatives that challenge harmful drinking cultures across a number of sub-populations including, young people disengaged from education, trade workforces and middle-aged men.
VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said there were pockets of the community drinking at levels that can lead to short and long term harm.
“Alcohol culture underpins the way people drink including the formal and informal rules, social norms, attitudes and beliefs around what is and what isn’t socially acceptable for a group of people before, during and after drinking,” Ms Rechter said.
“Recent research by the Foundation for Alcohol Research found 20%of the Australian population is responsible for consuming almost three quarters of what we drink which supports VicHealth’s view that certain groups in the community are drinking at very risky levels and require targeted interventions.
“We look forward to seeing the impact these grants will have on the communities they target as VicHealth strives to get 200,000 Victorians drinking less alcohol by 2023.”
Funding for Stage One of the Alcohol Culture Change Initiative for Local Councils is for an initial term of four months to scope and plan interventions.
Up to four projects that demonstrate the greatest potential during Stage One may be offered further funding of up to $300,000 over two years to deliver their ideas.
Successful recipients of Stage One funding under the VicHealth Alcohol Culture Change Initiative for Local Councils are listed below.
For more information visit www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/alcoholculturegrants
| PROJECT | SUBPOPULATION OF FOCUS | LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
| What’s your story? – An alcohol culture change initiative | Young adults 18-24 years who frequent late night licensed premises | City of Melbourne |
| Preventing risky drinking among youth cultures in Whittlesea | Youth cultures - young people at private gatherings, a gender lens on exploring trade apprenticeships and those disengaged from education and training | City of Whittlesea |
| Reducing alcohol-related harm in Wodonga - A collective impact and system approach | Working mothers, vulnerable youth/low income, sporting club members | City of Wodonga |
| Shifting the norm- Changing rural alcohol culture through youth |
Rural sporting clubs, functions at rural halls, private events | Horsham Rural City Council |
| Shifting alcohol cultures in middle-aged and older men living in the City of Maribyrnong | Middle-aged and older men in public and private housing settings | Maribyrnong City Council |
| Slow down mate – improving alcohol cultures among young and older men in Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula | Younger male trade students and older male war veterans | Mornington Peninsula Shire |
| Campaspe Safe Alcohol Use (C-SAU) | Major events/festivals held in Echuca, key leisure settings and the manufacturing/trades workforces | Shire of Campaspe |
| Shifting risky drinking cultures in Yarra for 12-17 year-olds | Young people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and young Anglo men drinking at the Edinburgh Gardens skate bowl | Yarra City Council |