New Campaign Aims to Shift LBQ Drinking Culture in Regional Victoria

Lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women in regional Victoria will be supported to re-think their relationship with alcohol thanks to a new project by Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) and health promotion foundation VicHealth.

The ReThink the Drink project will be launched at this year’s Bendigo Queer Film Festival, April 27-28 and is the first of its kind addressing alcohol culture change amongst LBQ women in Victoria.

ReThink the Drink seeks to inspire alcohol culture change amongst LBQ women living in regional Victoria. Studies have shown LBQ women engage in risky drinking behaviours at higher levels than their heterosexual counterparts.

The project includes a print and digital campaign that calls for women to share their story online.

The campaign, which uses the tagline ‘Couldn’t Have Done That with a Hangover!’, was developed with LBQ women, who asked for a motivational and positive approach.

“The approach has been driven by lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in regional Victoria who have helped design how this campaign looks and feels. We need to work together if we’re going to tackle alcohol culture change amongst these communities,” said VAC CEO Simon Ruth.

“We’re very excited to see this campaign roll out and start an important conversation with those regional communities about the impact alcohol is having on their lives.”

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said Rethink the Drink is an important step in increasing social support for low-risk drinking among some LBQ women.

“Our vision is to see people supporting one another to reduce risky drinking, resulting in reduced harm for the individual, their family, people in the vicinity, and the broader community,” Ms Rechter said.

“Rethink the Drink is about showing how risky drinking can hold us back from doing the things we love. Life really is better without the hangovers.”

ReThink the Drink will be rolled out in Ballarat, Geelong, Morwell, and Bendigo and is part of VicHealth’s Alcohol Change Initiative.