Drunk You're a Fool

Most Finns consume alcohol responsibly and in moderation, but the binge-drinking culture is a problem for both individuals and society, posing a challenge to responsible companies.

The "Drunk, You're a Fool" campaign aims to inspire public discussion on alcohol abuse and the social impacts of binge drinking. We can't change Finland's drinking culture overnight. However, education can influence the alcohol use of youth and future generations.

To date, Finland has sought to reduce the adverse impacts of alcohol mainly by heavily taxing alcoholic beverages, regulating their availability and laying down restrictions, such as on their marketing.

The "Drunk, You're a Fool" theme is presented in TV and outdoor ads. The campaign's Internet site is located at http://www.kännissä-olet-ääliö.fi. The site features a questionnaire on the alcohol-related behaviour of young people and the underlying factors and beliefs. In addition, the site presents a collection of facts about the social problems and health hazards of drunkenness in a format that's appealing to young people.

The "Drunk, You're a Fool" campaign carried out in 2007-2008 was successful. The campaign's Internet site, www.kännissä-olet-ääliö.fi, was visited over 500,000 times. The campaign received numerous awards, such as the Health Promotion Act of the Year 2008 from the Finnish Centre For Health Promotion (Tekry). In addition, an evaluation of the campaign by researchers was well received at various events of the EU Alcohol and Health Forum.