Sex, death form Oz Govt's new anti-binge drinking campaign theme

Melbourne, November 21 : A relationship between sex, death, and binge drinking forms the theme for the Australian Government's 20million-dollar campaign, which will target young drinkers as part of the National Binge Drinking Strategy.

The campaign will run a story of a teenage girl who gets drunk, has sex, and regrets it immediately.

Another story is about a boy who sneaks booze from his parents, and is killed after stumbling on to a road while drunk.

The first TV ads, with the tagline "Don't turn a night out into a nightmare", are scheduled for broadcast on Sunday night.

The Federal Government also plans to release print, radio and Internet ads.

The campaign will also be run in pubs and clubs.

Alcohol-related injuries, on average, kill four Australians aged before they turn 25 in an average week, while 25 per cent hospitalisations of those aged 15-24 are due to liquor consumption.

Some 70 people aged under 25 are hospitalised due to alcohol-related assaults in an average week, while half of those aged 15-17 who get drunk will do something they regret.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said that the ad campaign was intended for both parents and teenagers.

"We need to make sure that young people who think they are bulletproof understand that in fact they are not," the Age quoted her as saying.

"This campaign is very hard-hitting, some people will find it confronting," she added.

The Australian Drug Foundation has welcomed the campaign.

ANI