Alcohol: A conversation. A comprehensive approach for schools

Transcription

1 SOCIAL Studies Lesson 2 Personal decisions in a public world Description We have the right to make decisions about our own lives, but we are also members of a society. The effects of our decisions can go beyond us, and sometimes others have to live with the consequences of our choices (for example, a neighbour has to listen to the noise from your party). There are policies that support us to make good decisions about things that could harm us or others. In this lesson, students will consider how alcohol policy affects their lives. Content and time (75-minute lesson) 1. Introduction: Personal decisions, public policy (35 minutes) 2. Media influences and advertising restrictions (35 minutes) 3. Closure: Key messages (5 minutes) Required materials Discussion guide Personal versus public: Considerations about alcohol Example of an alcohol advertisement Note to teachers This is one in a series of three Social Studies lesson plans. This lesson can be taught on its own, but it is best taught in conjunction with the other two lessons. Each of the three lessons includes a specific activity. However, if you would like to create a larger citizenship-related assignment, consider having your students write a position paper about an alcohol policy, or write a letter to their MLA expressing their opinion about the legal drinking age. For more information on alcohol, please refer to the CALM lessons in the full Alcohol: A Conversation series. 1

2 1. Introduction: Personal decisions, public policy (35 minutes) Introduce the concept that, as citizens, we often make personal decisions within the boundaries of public policy. Brainstorm what it means to be citizens making personal decisions within the laws and policies that exist. Your students answers could include thinking beyond yourself, or thinking about how our decisions affect an entire community. Lead a brief introductory discussion with your students about personal decisions related to alcohol. Ask your students what kinds of things they consider when they are deciding whether to drink. Your students might bring up considerations like Will I tell my parents? How will I get the alcohol? Why is the legal drinking age different in other places? Introduce the concepts of personal decisions and public policy further: Personal decisions are the result of a cognitive process. We weigh many factors, filter through all sorts of influences and make a choice that fits best for us at that particular moment. Alcohol public policy is a purposeful effort or authoritative decision to minimize or prevent alcohol-related consequences (Babor et al., 2003). Discuss the following statement with your class: A very small percentage of the overall population are problem drinkers. However, a significant majority of people who drink from time to time (and occasionally misuse alcohol) are collectively responsible for a larger share of alcohol s burden on society. Use the following points to guide the discussion: The way the majority of society uses alcohol causes an enormous cost, for example to businesses and the health-care system. In 2002, the economic cost of alcohol abuse in Alberta was estimated at $1.6 billion (Rehm et al., 2006). Meanwhile, in 2006/2007, the Alberta government s revenue from alcohol sales was estimated at $658.3 million (Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security, 2007). Effective strategies to reduce the social and economic costs of alcohol abuse include population-based interventions, such as policy. There are several policies governments may introduce to address alcohol misuse. One such policy is the legal drinking age. Sources: Rehm et al. (2006). The costs of substance abuse in Canada 2002: Highlights. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse; Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security. (2007). Solicitor General and Public Security: Annual report Edmonton, AB: Author. 2

3 Lead the class in a discussion exploring the complexities of public policy and personal decisions, using the following table as a guide. The intent is that through the discussion, your students will begin to understand the different considerations and perspectives involved in making public policy decisions versus personal ones. The table includes a few examples to help you start the discussion. Personal versus public: Considerations about alcohol The issue Personal considerations Public considerations Drinking alcohol in public places and public drunkenness Will people see me and tell my parents? Will I get caught? Should drinking alcohol be banned from all public places, including pubs and restaurants? What message do I send to others when I drink in public places? Is there a difference between moderate drinking in public and falldown-drunk drinking in public? Maximum percentage of alcohol content allowed for sale Minimum legal purchase age Am I old enough to buy alcohol or do I need to find someone to buy it for me? By having a minimum drinking age, can we influence youth to start drinking later and therefore reduce harm? Control of physical access (e.g., hours and days of sales, number of liquor stores in a geographic area) Restrictions on alcohol advertising Alcohol pricing and taxation If liquor is more available, will crime increase in my neighbourhood? Am I influenced by ads telling me to buy alcohol? Is it socially responsible to get revenue from alcohol advertising in public places, such as on buses? Drinking and driving Will I make it home safe? How do we deter people from choosing to drink and drive? Changing the drinking context (e.g., bar staff training, policies about minimum prices in bars, closing times, last call) Is the bar a safe place for me to go? How many drinks can I get at last call? When is happy hour? Close the discussion with a summarizing comment. For example, From the discussion, we can clearly see that when we are making a personal decision, the things we consider are different from those that governments need to consider when they make decisions for the public. Ultimately, as responsible citizens in Alberta, we make our personal decisions within the guidelines and boundaries of public policy. 3

4 2. Media influences and advertising restrictions (35 minutes) Introduce the idea that when we are making personal decisions, we are influenced by a number of significant factors. Beyond our family and friends, we know that various forms of media have a big influence on each of us and on the decisions we make. Continue with the theme of alcohol-related decisions. Share with your students the idea that governments put restrictions on alcohol advertising for a number of reasons: Promoting alcohol to underage drinkers and youth reinforces positive attitudes about alcohol, increases how much they drink, and is linked with greater intention to drink later in life (Nova Scotia). Teens and college students repeatedly exposed to alcohol advertising were more likely to view alcohol as being beneficial and less risky. This exposure contributed to positive expectancies for future beer-drinking situations, and promoted beliefs that drinking beer is an aid to relaxing and socializing (Nova Scotia). Here are a few examples of restrictions on alcohol advertising in Canada: It cannot be specifically directed at minors, or depict minors consuming alcohol. It cannot link alcohol use to enhanced physical performance or to driving. It cannot specifically emphasize high alcohol content as being a positive quality. Tell the class that you are going to explore again how the personal and public intersect in our decisions specifically, how the media influences what we decide and how advertising influences us in decisions related to alcohol. Have your class brainstorm the numerous venues the media use for advertising. Answers may include television, radio, billboards, games, movies, music, clothing, social and sporting events, newspapers, magazines, websites, Facebook and YouTube. Using an advertisement from a magazine or website as an example, lead a discussion using the following questions. The objective is to have students analyze the ad, understand the purpose and intent of the ad, and judge the information. You will then take the class one step further to see whether they can see the influence of public policy and restrictions on advertising. Display the ad for the class, and lead them in a discussion of the questions below. (These questions are suggestions; feel free to adapt them for your class as you see fit.) What is being said? How is it being said? From whose perspective? Who is the target audience of this medium? What types of music, words, images and voices are being used? What is the message? What lifestyles, values or morals are presented? 4

5 Whose point of view is not being heard? How does this ad make you feel? What impact does this ad have on your life? Can you see the influence of public policy in this ad? (For example, does it say, Don t drink and drive or Please enjoy responsibly? Is this ad in a magazine targeted for adults rather than children?) What is not being said? Once the class has thoroughly discussed and critiqued the ad, assign the following exercise. From all the forms of media you brainstormed earlier in the lesson (e.g., television, radio, Internet), have students pick three forms of media that influence them the most. Have students analyze one example of each medium they are exposed to in their everyday world. Here are some examples: Watch a television show and record all the references to alcohol. Keep an eye out for details and references that may not be obvious. Is there advertising on the street the characters are walking down? Do the characters make a reference to drinking? Is there a scene in a bar? Read a newspaper story. Pay attention to the tone and language used when the story is talking about alcohol. Are parties on New Year s Eve glamorized if they are sponsored by an alcohol company? Is a hockey game more exciting if you go drinking before and after? Does the approach taken by newspaper stories subtly tell you what you should think about the culture of alcohol? Listen to a song. Do the lyrics talk about alcohol, drinking or partying? Can music encourage you to drink and party more directly than television or movies can? Watch an alcohol-advertising video that doesn t observe Canadian advertising restrictions, such as a viral YouTube video or an international commercial. Compare the messages being sent with the regulated messages. 3. Closure: Key messages (5 minutes) Making personal decisions is our right. But our decisions have effects that go beyond ourselves. We influence others by our decisions, and sometimes others have to live with the consequences of our choices. (For example, a neighbour has to listen to the noise from your party.) There are policies that support us to make good decisions about things that could harm us. Optional: In the next class, we will learn more about how these policies are made. 5