The “Mind the minor – Don’t mind them alcohol” campaign has started in Salo – providing alcohol or other substances to minors is always a crime

The week-long “Mind the minor – Don’t mind them alcohol” campaign has started Monday, May 27th, in Salo. The campaign serves as a reminder that alcohol or other substances should not be provided to minors. The campaign aims to raise awareness among adults that alcohol and other substances jeopardize the safety of young people on graduation night and always have an impact on their health.

– As summer approaches, the issue of providing alcohol to minors becomes more prominent. Although age limits are clear, many young people obtain alcohol from legal adults who are close to them. In fact, 88 % of the alcohol consumed by young people is obtained through intermediaries, commented Satu-Maarit Hildén, the coordinator of preventive substance abuse and mental health work in the city of Salo.

Providing alcohol, tobacco products, or other substances to minors is illegal. The “Mind the minor – Don’t mind them alcohol” (Älä välitä) campaign will be visible in Salo throughout the campaign week through the City Information newspaper, the city’s website, social media, and several info screens in the city. The main event will take place on Friday, May 31st, when professionals from the city’s preventive substance abuse and mental health work will distribute information on the topic in the entrance areas of K-Citymarket and Halikko Prisma from approximately 12–2 pm, as well as in the Plaza shopping center from approximately 2–4 pm.

– We need to openly discuss the risks of alcohol and the consequences of providing it. More important than restriction is providing information and offering support. By setting an example and speaking openly, we can encourage young people to make choices that support their well-being. This primarily shows care, says Hildén.

According to the School Health Survey conducted in 2023, 11.6 % of 14–15-year-old young people in Salo (n=739) reported getting heavily intoxicated once a month. Approximately 6 % of the respondents consumed alcohol weekly. Over half of the respondents obtained or were offered alcohol by their own parents or guar, Young siblings. In addition, underage individuals have also taken alcohol without permission from home. According to the study, young people have also been able to buy alcohol themselves from retail (8.9 %).

– When a minor asks for “just a few drinks,” refusing can feel difficult. However, every alcoholic beverage that we provide to a minor is not only an illegal act but also a risk to the young person’s health and safety. The biggest burden of providing is mental, especially if the alcohol we provide leads to an accident, says Hildén.

The “Mind the minor – Don’t mind them alcohol” campaign is part of the national Pakka action model of the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The local alcohol policy action model (Pakka) is a method developed to prevent local alcohol, nicotine, and gambling harms, aiming to raise the age of initiation for drinking, smoking, and gambling, as well as reduce binge drinking and its harms.

For more information:
Coordinator of preventive substance abuse and mental health work, Satu-Maarit Hildén, tel. 050 408 4436, satu-maarit.hilden@salo.fi