YARRABAH BEAT DA BINGE PROJECT: By: Ian Patterson Gregory Fourmile Why Beat Da Binge was developed: Concern about binge drinking among young people after closure of CDEP in Yarrabah in July 2009; Binge drinking occurred at parties on dole days and for coming of age celebrations for 18 and 21 year olds; Funding through the National Binge Drinking Strategy in September 2009.

1. Beat Da binge.
Ian Patterson
Gregory Fourmile.

2. Yarrabah

4. The Yarrabah Beat Da Binge
project.
 Traditional home to the Gunghangi people

5. Thanks to
The beauty
of Yarrabah.

7. The dangers of
Yarrabah

8. The Dangers
Death adders
Bird eating
spiders
Scorpions

9. Other local wildlife

10. But what about the
other dangers in the
community??.

11. The Yarrabah Beat Da Binge
project.
 The laws set in place to restrict alcohol in the
community, actually strengthened the already present
binge drinking culture amongst our youth.

12. YARRABAH BEAT DA BINGE.

13. What was Beat Da Binge?
 A two-year project from April 2010 to prevent harm
from binge drinking for Yarrabah young people;
 Aimed to relieve boredom, lack of hope and anger and
promote self-empowerment, achievement and pride;
 Young people aged 12-24 years but activities were
designed to include all community members;
 Two major events and twelve minor activities, with
alcohol harm reduction messages.

14. Why Beat Da Binge was developed
 Concern about binge drinking among young people
after closure of CDEP in Yarrabah in July 2009;
 Binge drinking occurred at parties on dole days and for
coming of age celebrations for 18 and 21 year olds;
 Funding through the National Binge Drinking Strategy
in September 2009.

15. We can no longer afford to just sit on the side
lines and watch our people be destroyed by this
poison.

16. Bringing experts together
 Local community organisations experience
 Developing a research partnership
 Engaging young people

17. Understanding the local situation
1. Was Beat da Binge likely to work?
2. How could we know?

18. Words from a community member
“Having the whole of community focus, you make it the
whole community’s responsibility, not just one
organisation. And really it is because the effects of
drinking then goes out to every organisation, whether its
health related, whether its by-laws, you know breaking
by-laws, alcohol management plan policing, all the law
and justice, it’s all involved. So having everyone involved
and making it a community responsibility - I think was a
better approach.”

19. Getting the message out
 Holding events
 Young people taking control
 Sustaining interest

20. Reframing the approach
 What does “boredom” mean?
 Supporting young people's meaning and purpose

21. Where to from here?

• Collaboration to improve the project design and implementation, and
create new understandings of the local situation;
• The steering committee engaged young people to organise events to get
the message out and to deliver the survey;
• Yarrabah young
people advocated to
reframe the approach
towards mentoring
for education,
employment and
training.

22. The results speak for themselves!

23. Males 50%
Females 50%
(107) (109)
Total= 218
Beginning of Beat da
Binge
Young people surveyed
Beat da Binge- Yarrabah
Average age = 21.2 years (18-24)
Average fortnightly income = $
498
• 19% completed further
education
training/qualifications since
school

24. Young people surveyed
Beat da Binge- Yarrabah
Main weekday activity
• 51% Home related (unemployed)
• 30% unknown
Beginning of Beat da
Binge
Main weekday activity
• 12% Employed (full-time/part-
time/casual)
• 6% Training

25. Alcohol drinking
Beat da Binge- Yarrabah
Drinking in a single session
22% drank 4 beers- weekly
42% drank 4 cans UDL- weekly
35% drank ¼ bottle of spirits- weekly
9% drank big glass (425ml) wine -
weekly
• 79% of young people drank alcohol
• 70% Binge drank alcohol
• (88% of alcohol drinkers binge drank)
• 18% of young people did not drink
alcohol
Binge drinkers spent $98 on average at each drinking session
Beginning of Beat da
Binge

26. What changed since Beat da Binge activities and alcohol awareness?
Beat da Binge- Yarrabah
• Community binge drinkers decreased
by 10% (from 70% to 60%) (red men)
• Alcohol drinkers increased by 2% (from
79% to 81%)
• Of the alcohol drinkers, those who binged
decreased by 14% (from 88% to 74%)
• Young people who did not drink alcohol
decreased by 2% from 18% to 16%
Binge drinkers spent $12 less per drinking session, from $98 to $86
Binge drinking
reduced by 10%
(1 in 10 people)

27. What changed since Beat da Binge activities and alcohol awareness?
Beat da Binge- Yarrabah
More people (30% more) knew
what binge drinking was (from
26% to 54%)
More people (21% more) knew what a
standard drink measure was (from
41% to 62%)
Fewer social activities (7% less)
included alcohol (from 43% to 36%)
Binge drinking
knowledge increased by
30%
(3 in 10 people)

28. Other results identified
 Health promotion worked.( majority of this project
was around promotion at every event sponsored .

29. Gindaja Received the National Award of “Excellence in
services for young people “ in 2013 at Canberra.

30. Thanks to
 Gindaja Treatment and Healing Centre
 Partner organisations
 Yarrabah young people
 Research partners JCU