ENHANCING ALCOHOL PREVENTION STRATEGIES BY ADDRESSING DETERMINANATS Pubudu Sumanasekara Executive Director Alcohol and Drug Information Centre(ADIC) Sri Lanka National Conference-Malawi
What are determinants? Determinant : A thing that decides whether or how something happens
What are determinants? Cont.. Do we know that what decides whether a child is going to take or not to take alcohol Do we know what decides whether a user is going to continue or not to continue drugs Do we know what factors decides whether alcohol use is going to increase or decline in a community
Benefit of addressing determinants Cost effectiveness Time saving Well focused to the target population Enhance creativity Result is long term and sustainable
Determinants promote alcohol drinking Attractiveness of alcohol use Unfair privileges attached to alcohol use Image of alcohol user Image of alcohol …………………
The alcohol industry associate alcohol to all our happy moments and after some time we couldn’t erase this from our minds OR We conditioned all our fun moments with alcohol And it will become symbol of fun and enjoyment Symbols are very strong than we think
What people say about alcohol experience High Kick Pleasurable ………………..
How was the First Experience ? What they report ? – Headaches – Nausea – Drowsy – …………..
What is the chemical effect of alcohol Stimulant? Depressant? Neutral?
Why people start alcohol use while knowing the harm and unpleasantness Why people keep using alcohol while knowing the harm and unpleasantness
Sexual Successfulness- World Situation Local Situation
Promotions on the web- Local Situation World Situation
Greetings- Local Situation
Desktop wallpapers- World Situation Local Situation
Sports- World Situation Local Situation
Musical events- World Situation Local Situation
Films- World Situation Local Situation
Dramas- World Situation Local Situation
If the first experience is unpleasant why they continue? Other positive factors – Membership of the group – Symbolic meanings – Sanctions to break social rules – Excuse for social inaptitude, poor performance and bad behavior – Group work – expectations
Addiction is for chemical or something else? Addicted to the particular group than alcohol Addicted to group activity than alcohol
What make people to behave badly after drinking alcohol?
Determinants promote irresponsible behaviour Excuse from the victim Excuse from the society
Identifying factors promoting drug use – Myths – Glamour – Image of drug – Image of user – Image of non user – Sub culture
Alcohol and other Drug effects Other Influences Total Experience += Symbolic Meanings Rituals Sanction to break rules Social Belief Membership of a group Expectations Image from advertising Social excuse Neutral or Unpleasant Highly Rewarding Overall Positive +
Is it possible to take this discussion with a user? Yes, but we need to take the discussion with ourselves first? What is my belief of alcohol? Can I come up with an example ? – – ………………………
Is it possible to take this discussion with others Occasional alcohol user Heavy alcohol user Person who never tasted alcohol Person who tasted but not continued
Do people experience the Drug Effect Itself? Intoxicants have symbolic and ritualistic significance and they are widely used to provide excuses for social inaptitude, poor performance and bad behaviour. The subjective influence of alcohol and other drugs, and behaviour they allegedly induce, can be changed by undermining widely held beliefs about their effects.
Theory behind the Model Theory of Classical conditioning Theory of Social learning
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