The Oregon Health Authority and the Center for Health and Safety Culture of Montana State University are excited to offer resources to Oregon communities to support a statewide effort to reduce teenage alcohol use. The Oregon mORe Projects’ goal is to reveal concern and hope about underage drinking in order to promote meaningful change and transformation on this critical issue.
Underage drinking is a serious concern in Oregon. According to the 2010 Oregon Student Wellness Survey, more than 170,000 underage drinking episodes occur each month among Oregon high school youth. The cost of underage drinking to Oregonians in 2010 was $700 million (Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, N.D). While these numbers are shocking and cause concern, it is also important to highlight that most Oregon teens choose not to drink alcohol (Oregon Health Authority, Addictions and Mental Health Division, 2012).
Building on the strengths and resources that exist in Oregon communities, the mORe Project offers multiple communications campaigns to reduce teenage alcohol use. The communication campaigns are provided to communities in the form of toolkits. The toolkits focus on important segments of the community including:
The mORe name identifies and brands this project. Using the word “mORe” in all parts of the project shows the common desire for improved health and safety. The tagline of “mORe Oregon teens choose not to drink” reflects the dedication of Oregon prevention leaders to support and nurture this positive norm throughout the state.
The mORe Project is a series of communication campaigns intended to guide conversations about underage drinking and correct misperceptions. The campaigns are designed to balance two goals:
The first mORe Project campaign, the Community Building Campaign, lays the foundation and sets the tone for the entire project. This campaign’s purpose is to create an environment for positive community change by connecting the people of Oregon based on their common values toward caring, health, and safety. The Community Building Campaign is followed by a series of campaigns reaching important segments of communities (or multiple levels of the social ecology). Each campaign that follows builds on the common spirit established in the Community Building Campaign and promotes the fact that most Oregon teens choose not to drink alcohol – a fact misperceived by many people.
To learn mORe about this project in your area, click the box with your community’s name below to view coordinator details.
Photos, videos and audio are available for viewing by clicking them below