Local Youth Take the Lead in Efforts to Combat Underage Drinking
Author: Behavioral Health
Date: 4/3/2025 7:57 AM
Shandon High School Friday Night Live has launched a multi-media campaign designed to challenge the negative stereotypes about youth and alcohol.
Young people in Shandon High School Friday Night Live (FNL) have launched a campaign to tackle underage drinking in San Luis Obispo County. FNL is a youth-led program that builds partnerships for positive and healthy youth development, engages youth as active community leaders, and generates resources to create positive changes on issues that matter to them.
Although underage drinking rates continue to decline, the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) found that young people in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades have engaged in alcohol use in the past month at rates of 4%, 10%, and 14% respectively (CHKS, 2023). Research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has shown underage alcohol consumption can lead to a variety of risks and dangerous consequences, including impaired judgment, risky behaviors, interference with brain development, and increased risk of developing substance use disorders in adulthood (NIAAA, 2024). California young people in Shandon High School Friday Night Live are taking a stand to promote healthy alternatives to underage drinking, creating safer communities.
There is a common misconception that all young people engage in underage drinking, perpetuated by movies, television, music, and social media. These portrayals create a skewed image of youth behavior. As a result, many young people who choose to avoid drinking may feel isolated or out of place. Social norms (the behaviors and attitudes a group believes are acceptable) significantly influence individual choices. Research shows these norms can shape teens’ behavior and what they think is “normal.”
In response to this, youth in Shandon High School Friday Night Live launched a multi-media campaign designed to challenge the negative stereotypes about youth and alcohol. The initiative promotes positive social norms by sharing posters, digital graphics, and public service announcements created by young people about making healthy choices and living alcohol-free. By amplifying these voices, the campaign aims to inspire other teens to make empowered decisions about their health and well-being, while shifting the broader narrative about youth and alcohol.
“I believe the social norms campaign is beneficial for our school because I feel that everyone is shown from an early age that a little bit of alcohol won’t hurt,” says Shandon High School’s Friday Night Live President. “It’s become a norm in today’s world that young teens drink. This campaign brings awareness to our community that underage drinking is extremely harmful and should never be overlooked.”
Throughout the year-long underage drinking prevention campaign, young people will receive training on data collection, public speaking, creating public service announcements, and leadership and advocacy skills. Shandon High Friday Night Live is part of a statewide initiative, that includes forty-five FNL chapters from across California, who receive support from the California Friday Night Live Partnership (CFNLP) through funding provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The FNL young people will utilize environmental prevention strategies through youth-led initiatives to educate their peers, neighbors, and local leaders on ways to reduce underage drinking access and mitigate the damages caused to communities resulting from underage drinking.
For more information about Friday Night Live, visit www.fridaynightlive.org. Community members can support Shandon High Friday Night Live and their campaign, which runs through September 2025, on their Instagram page @Outlaws.fnl.
