What can the Council do to support city vibrancy and minimise alcohol-related harm?

I think a campaign is part of a possible solution, but I think there needs to be a much broader social movement.
It is an alarming symptom that our culture laughs at gross intoxication (vomiting, falling over, hooking up with someone and having no recollection).

I think the pertinent question is why are we drinking the way we do.... and perhaps why do enough of us implicitly understand this behaviour that we don't challenge it.
I propose we look at mental well-being more generally to identify the problems which might be feeding into our alcohol behaviour.

@johnirving I cannot disagree with your statements, but in my opinion that is starting to far up the tree. From experience in seeing social change, a bottom up process is most often more effective. @sarahlee I agree that this is how we need to start. @rubendehaas in response to changing the proposal to the positive, I have no issue. I do how ever think that "don't be a dick!" has more power in conecting with youth than "reading books is cool". What I am trying to say is that we need to transition in iterations to make change. We cannot simple stop people drinking and say "get healthy". Can someone suggest a variation to the proposal title?

Just a thought to spur discussion: maybe an interesting way to turn this question on it's head is instead of asking "why do people have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol" we can look at people that have a healthy relationship with it and ask how that came to be. If you personally feel you have a healthy relationship with alcohol, maybe ask yourself where those ideas, beliefs or behaviours came from, and ask the same for others you know who you feel are a good example in this area.

Like Minds Like Mine is a good campaign to look into
http://www.likeminds.org.nz/page/36-like-minds-national-plans
because it combines a media front door with a much deeper community grass roots social inclusion campaign. At least it did this to begin with I am not so sure about the balance any more. They would certainly be great people to ask for advice

In order to raise the standards of a societal attitude, we must commit to a long and sustained approach to enforcing, through advertising and social messages, the acceptable line of social behavior before, during and after the consumption of alcoholic beverages. We must also accept that this message needs to be committed to over multiple generations of drinkers, and that this message will need to be constantly refined in order for it to be effective. In addressing the issue of societal attitudes, we must also accept that pricing, and the general economy factors into attitudes towards intoxication. It has never been cheaper to purchase vast quantities at Off License. It is cheaper for On Licenses (bars etc) to purchase from supermarkets than usual suppliers. Blue Sky thinking is regulation of price and quantities at Off License POS, and a minimum of 3 generations of a sustained campaign to create a healthier attitude towards consumption of alcohol by society at large. Its not just a youth problem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16466646

A few suggestions from the BBC. Ten Radical Solutions to Binge Drinking. Does anything here chime with what we're looking for, or lead to more ideas?

There's that 'show, don't tell' idea which I think is where a lot of resistance is coming from with regard to aaron's idea. @lynseyferrari "I liked the big alcohol-free space at the waterfront during the rugby world cup. It was a great atmosphere." What if we designed alcohol-free events every month/weekend that demonstrate fabulous creative entertainment from Wellington performers? If there was skill based performance participation for the casual crowd (eg giant balancing ropes) drinking would be certainly regarded inducing impairment.

i have a healthy relationship with alcohol. i drink a beer or two sometimes, not every day or week but when i feel like it.
i don't get drunk because i've never enjoyed the feeling of it.
i've also played sober driver to my younger sister for a good 4/5 years in my early 20s as she is always going to drink excessively and while i can't stop her at least i can be there and make sure that she doesn't do anything to hurt herself or others. as it is i'm glad i have the chance to do that as her drink has been spiked before and if i wasn't the only sober one there realising that no this isn't normal drunken behaviour i'd hate to think what would've happened.

I don't think that a campaign about excessive drinking not being "cool" is the right way to go. "not being cool" just sounds like old people trying to preach to the young. and it's not always the young that are at fault.
if a campaign was run it would need to be for all ages and speak to everyone. those older people who drink and drive most weekends don't care whats cool.

i do think that the council needs to get more behind no alcohol related events - and also as i read in another post do more about off-licence premises. at events it isn't the people that only drink at them that's the problem. it's the people that get wasted at home or on their way there that are the problem

I agree, focusing on the negative aspects of drinking tend to shun people away from the topic. For example the drink driving ads with the horrific crashes always makes me change the channel.

Changing the tone to a positive campaign is much more effective because it gets people talking. Particularly for young people who are always told "don't do this and at that", what they want is something that they 'can' do. Something that 'is' cool to do, yet ideally safe.

Excessive drinking for young people is a serious problem because often it is seen as the 'cool' albeit the most dangerous thing to do. A campaign to show other forms of 'social drinking' that are 'cooler' can encourage youth to see the alternatives to binge drinking, and get them to also to talk about it with their peers and parents (who are more familiar and accepting of the social drinking that adults do).

Thinking along the lines of safe drinking habits can be a great message for young people entering the drinking culture e.g. Eat before you drink.

Also in terms of urban design, place 'sober up' hubs in the city, with water fountains and other non-alcoholic products that are positive spaces and also encouraging for people who are out to have fun but not necessarily drinking to excess.

It's great seeing people actively engaging with the current proposal and it's been very helpful as a jumping off point for our thinking. However it seems the group feels we haven't quite nailed it yet. What can we do to synthesize the ideas and concerns people are bringing up?

One thing I find helpful is reading through people's statements of position down the righthand side under the pie graph, which often summarize their essential conclusions about the idea. Can we pick out any themes?