Local Youth Lead the Change to Reduce Underage Drinking

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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The County of Santa Barbara, Department of Behavioral Wellness, is sponsoring youth involved with Friday Night Live (FNL) through Lompoc High School, to launch a campaign that tackles underage drinking in Santa Barbara County. FNL builds partnerships for positive and healthy youth development, engaging youth as active leaders and as resources within their communities, to create positive changes on essential issues that matter to them. Due to legislative changes and prevention efforts, there has been a 34.5% decline in the prevalence of drinking among 12 to 20-year-olds since 2004. Although rates are declining, 23% of high school students consumed alcohol in the last 30 days, and an additional 14% rode with a driver who had been drinking (CDC, 2022). Youth involved with Lompoc High School FNLare on a mission to ensure that underage drinking rates continue to decline.  

It is a common misconception that all young people are participating in underage drinking. Misleading depictions of youth perpetuate this false narrative in film, television, and social media. Due to the saturation of these images and messages, many young people may feel isolated in their decision not to drink. The behaviors that a group, such as teens, believes to be acceptable are called social norms, and social norms have been proven to influence behavior. This youth led campaign will launch a multi-media initiative to counter negative stereotypes of youth’s relation to alcohol and promote positive social norms by highlighting the stories of their peers choosing healthy behaviors and remaining alcohol-free.  

Local Santa Barbara County data shows that 84% of community youth are not drinking. Through this campaign, students will highlight these positive behaviors by creating posters, digital graphics, and public service announcements to encourage more young people across the county to participate in healthy life decisions. Students will permeate their campuses, neighborhoods, online platforms, and airwaves with their messages wherever young people congregate.  

Throughout the year-long campaign, youth in FNL will receive training on data collection, environmental prevention, the health risks of underage drinking, public speaking, creating public service announcements, and leadership development in a collection of valuable lifelong skills.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of empowering our next generation to lead in the fight against underage drinking, and inspiring positive change in our community and school.  Our students are truly remarkable with their passion, creativity, and dedication to this powerful and meaningful project.” -Remarked, Ashley Coelho FNL Student Advisor

Lompoc High School FNL members will join youth in forty-five chapters across California in this collaborative effort to reduce alcohol access for minors and mitigate the damages caused to communities by underage drinking.  Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For more information about Friday Night Live, please visit: oksbc.org

For linkage to mental health services or for urgent or crisis needs, please call the Behavioral Wellness 24/7 Access line at 1-888-868-1649.  To learn more about the County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness, please visit https://www.countyofsb.org/274/Behavioral-Wellness.