North East Regional Alcohol Forum (NERAF) recently facilitated a service user consultation on the Department of Health/Home Office 'Know Your Limits' campaign.
The Forum considered the consultation process for development of the campaign; the campaign messages; campaign materials; and the communication channels for members of the public wanting more information.
The Forum found:
No evidence of a consulation process in developing the campaign
An over-emphasis on the criminal justice agenda - as if binge drinking is only a problem when it leads to anti-social behaviour
The advice on drinking during pregnancy is a concern; they would prefer to see pregnant women advised not to drink alcohol at all
The emphasis on daily limits means the two drink free days a week message is lost
Dispensers for the campaign cards are of poor quality and of little use
Receiving more information by text, as suggested in campaign materials, requires people to send personal information by text, which was felt to be inappropriate
