Does coopting the cool kids who like to get their drink and smoke on in high school by working with them to throw "super sweet" drug/alcohol free parties work as prevention? That's the gist of Jeff Jordan's Rescue Social Change Group according to this profile in the San Diego Tribune. I found Jeff's approach fascinating. From the article:

Rescue Social Change starts by slipping into town – whether it be Las Vegas or Casper, Wyo. – and getting the lay of the land. They meet with municipal and school officials and do a few focus groups.

But it's all done quietly, because the jig is up if the students make a direct connection between these young, urban-cool newcomers and local authority figures. The next order of business is to identify the most popular partyers, and then co-opt them.

A 2004 campaign to stop teenage drinking in Casper, paid for by the Wyoming State Substance Abuse Division, illustrates the company's methods.

“We convinced the town to let us throw a series of parties hosted by the coolest partyers in the school,” Jordan said. “The rule was that the kids could not drink at the event, but if kids came drunk to the party, we wouldn't do anything about it.”

And it wasn't just any party. It was a huge event, costing thousands, in the showroom of a local car dealership. There were top-notch DJs and a killer sound system. Not to mention fliers, posters and even a hip line of clothing emblazoned with alcohol-free and smoke-free messages.

Jordan said that about three-fourths of the kids came drunk to the first party. But the drinkers thought the crew from Rescue Social Change was cool, which was key. A brand had been established.

By the third party, the majority of the kids were coming sober, Jordan said.

Jordan's contract with the state was not renewed because they couldn't provide "empirical proof of success," just anecdotal. He's basically using very stealthy marketing tactics to build and spread the brand or message that substance free is cool. What happens if the party animals find out that "the authorities" are all in on it?

Posted by anastasia