What Next? Sustaining a Successful Small-Scale Alcohol Consumption Harm Minimization Project

• Published in: Substance use & misuse Vol. 42; no. 12-13; pp. 1933 - 1944
• Main Authors: Milne, Sharon, Greenaway, Sarah, Conway, Kim, Henwood, Wendy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2007; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Age; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - prevention & control; Commerce; Communities; Community action; Community based programmes; Community Networks; Cooperation; Cooperative Behavior; Drinking Behavior; Evidence based; Focus Groups; formative evaluation; Harm Reduction; institutionalization; Interviews as Topic; New Zealand; partnership; Program Development; Program Evaluation; project development; project planning; sustainability; Verification
• ISSN: 1082-6084; 1532-2491
• DOI: 10.1080/10826080701532825

Engaging communities in alcohol consumption-related action projects requires the application of a range of flexible and responsive evidence-based methods. These include: establishing collaborative relationships, implementing strategies to improve age verification practices, encouraging organizational change, and raising awareness of local alcohol issues. The focus of this article is the sustainability of an alcohol harm minimization project for young people in Hawera (a small New Zealand town) that has produced some encouraging results. The Hawera Alcohol and Young People project began in 2000 along with external formative and impact evaluation components. This article will draw on the evaluation findings to date and the experience of community action projects in New Zealand to explore what makes a sustainable community action project and to examine the extent to which this has been achieved by the Hawera Alcohol and Young People project. The limitations of the study are noted.