For four consecutive years, Maine PBS producers have worked with eight Maine Youth Voices groups to provide hands-on production experience, as well as unique opportunities to explore underage alcohol use, adult mixed messages and community norms through the creation of group public service announcements. On-screen and "on-the-street" interviews (both with the youth as interviewees and with the youth interviewing other community members), combined with interviews of prevention field specialists and group-created scenarios, have been blended to create several 30-second PSA's, four 30-minute documentaries and a series of live call-in shows aired on Maine PBS.

     In the most recent production, two Downeast groups – Jonesport (Jonesport Storyboard) and Eastport – planned and created their own 30-second public service announcements specifically designed to utilize social norms theory in targeting their audience. The theory of social norms is loosely defined as, "what most people are doing tend to validate what they are doing as others perceive it." The point is that if people think most others are doing something, it can influence their own decisions as to whether or not they will do it, as well.

      This is an important tool in combating underage drinking because most students strongly believe that most other students drink alcohol regularly. The fact is, that although "on-the-street" interview responses by fellow students reveal that most students think that up to 90% of their fellow students have been drinking within the past 30 days, the fact is that 70% have NOT been drinking*. Basically, kids that start drinking and risk their futures because they think its cool and everyone else is doing it are wrong. What the research reveals is that kids say its cool, but only 30% of students are actually doing it. The problem is, of course, that 30% of students is still a huge amount of underage drinkers.

      The two MYV PSA's were created and produced to address these misperceptions about what others are really doing, and examined how those misperceptions contribute to individual choices in use-related behavior. In order to do this, the two groups selected a target audience for their message, created their storyboards-visual outlines-that illustrate their strategies to most effectively address the theme, and "shot" their footage in their schools and communities. Maine PBS then edited and aired the final products.

      In addition to the Public Service Announcements, video segments offering an in-depth look of each of the issues the students identify are also available for the classroom and community use through Maine PBS. For more information, go to the Maine PBS Youth Voices web page by clicking on this link.

      MYV has also been featured in the YES! TV program, which airs on FOX. An eight-minute video segment featuring youth underage drinking prevention efforts aired on the YES! TV program, "YESToday." YES! to Youth is a youth-run organization which produces two 30-minute television programs – among many other projects. The Portland-based project is involved in many educational programs – youth inspired and youth-empowered. Click on YES! To Youth for more information.

      MYV groups regularly appear in media throughout the state of Maine, including in broadcast television, newspaper and radio coverage of group activities, and through articles and letters written to local and regional print media.

      * according to the Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey (MYDAUS) 2002 results, 69.7% of Maine students have not had any alcohol in the past 30 days.

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For further information or to receive the MYV newsletter contact: David McDermott AdCare Educational Institute 75 Stone St., Augusta, ME 04330 E-mail: Telephone: 207.626.3615 TTY: 207.623.0830 Fax: 207.621.2550 Other AdCare Maine Prevention Programs: Youth Empowerment and Policy Project Student Intervention and Reintegration Program