Positive Social Norms Campaigns with Libby Ray
When we talk about preventing youth substance use, it is easy for the conversation to focus on what is going wrong. But what if most young people are already making healthy choices, and part of our prevention strategy is making sure they know that?
In this episode of the Common Good Data Podcast, Roger Suclupe and I talk with Libby Ray about positive social norms campaigns and their potential role in preventing youth alcohol use and vaping.
Positive social norms campaigns address an important challenge: young people and adults can significantly overestimate how common substance use actually is. When “everybody is doing it” becomes the perceived norm, that perception can influence expectations and behavior. A positive social norms approach uses credible local data to correct those misperceptions and reinforce the healthy choices that most young people are already making.
Our conversation covers:
Current concerns around youth vaping and alcohol use
What a positive social norms campaign is and how it differs from traditional prevention messaging
Why perceptions about peer behavior matter
The importance of using credible local data to develop campaign messages
How focus groups helped bring youth voice into the campaign
What young people taught the team about imagery, messaging, and authenticity
How the campaign is reaching youth through digital advertising, schools, community partners, posters, banners, and even stickers
What Libby and her team are hearing now that the campaign is underway
One of my favorite ideas from the conversation is that hope and concern can live side by side. We can acknowledge serious concerns about youth substance use while also recognizing that the vast majority of young people are making healthy choices.
And, because we are talking about campaigns and messaging, we finish with a trip back to some memorable advertising from the 1980s and 1990s.
If you work in substance use prevention, public health, youth development, or community-based prevention, this conversation offers a practical example of how data, youth voice, and thoughtful messaging can come together in a real-world campaign.
