ENHANCING ALCOHOL PREVENTION STRATEGIES BY

ADDRESSING DETERMINANATS

Pubudu SumanasekaraExecutive Director

Alcohol and Drug Information Centre(ADIC) Sri Lanka

National Conference-Malawi12.11.2008

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 alcoholAnd 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-Sexual Successfulness-

World SituationWorld Situation Local SituationLocal Situation

Promotions on the web-Promotions on the web-

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Greetings-Greetings-

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Desktop wallpapers-Desktop wallpapers-

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Sports-Sports-

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Musical events-Musical events-

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Films-Films-

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Dramas-Dramas-

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If the first experience is unpleasantwhy 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?

• 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

THANK YOU!!!