What is the most powerful way to protect teens in your community from the dangers of alcohol and other drugs (AOD)? The answer may be simpler, and closer, than you think. Change the culture.
We've Been All Over the Country Listening
For over 15 years, we have been listening to teens across the country - in cities, suburbs, and rural communities. Everywhere we go, some things teens have told us about AOD have been remarkably consistent.
Teens Tell Us They Have Negative Attitudes Toward Alcohol and Other Drugs
Across every community, every school, and every demographic, teens share this similar message with us:
Most teens view alcohol and other drugs as harmful.
Local and national data confirms what we have heard. Most teens are not using and view AOD as harmful.
For most teens, alcohol and other drugs feel:
"Scary"
"Dangerous"
"Not worth it"
The Voice Inside
Teens' internal voices are telling them that alcohol and other drugs are harmful. We have heard three major themes repeated. Teens consistently told us they:
Don't want to get in trouble.
The consequences feel real and the stakes feel high.
Don't want to disappoint their parents.
Family relationships matter deeply, even when teens do not say so.
Don't like the way AOD makes them feel.
Uncertainty itself is a protective factor, a powerful one.
Teens Tell Us They Exaggerate or Pretend to Avoid or Minimize Using
The gap between perception and reality plays out in quiet, revealing ways. Teens describe moments that say everything about the pressure they feel to perform conformity, even when it goes against what they truly want.
"I grab a cup and hold it so people will think I'm drinking."
Gabe - 10th grade, Laguna Beach, California
"I act drunk when I am not to fit in."
David - 11th grade, Kansas City, Missouri
These are not teens with bad values. These are teens caught in the gap between what they believe and what they think is safe to express.
"I don't like how drinking or smoking weed makes me feel and I don't want to get in trouble or disappoint my parents but saying that at school or at a party is social suicide."
Elizabeth - 12th grade, Portland, Oregon
Knowing is not the same as acting. Change doesn't happen when teens learn something. It happens when they say something.
Peers
"Everyone in my school drinks."
We hear this from teens everywhere, and they believe it completely. But the data tells a different story. Most teens are not drinking. Most are not using. The perception simply does not match reality.
Perception shapes behavior. Even when the perception is wrong.
And yet perception is powerful. When teens believe that everyone around them is using, that belief quietly reshapes what they think is normal and what they feel they're allowed to do. A false majority becomes a real pressure.
.
Traditions
"It's just what everyone does before prom. It's tradition."
We hear this one a lot. Drinking before prom. Smoking after the big game. Partying on graduation night. These aren't just behaviors, they've been elevated into rituals. And rituals create culture.
When a behavior gets wrapped in tradition, it stops feeling like a choice. It feels like an obligation. Teens who don't want to participate often feel like they're the ones doing something wrong, not the other way around.
Tradition is one of the most powerful normalizers. It makes the exception feel like the rule.
Popular Culture
"Movies, shows, and influencers all make drinking and smoking look cool and normal."
Teens are swimming in content that portrays alcohol and drug use as glamorous, funny, or just part of growing up. From party scenes in movies, to influencers casually drinking on camera, the message is everywhere: this is what cool people like.
What makes this so powerful is that it doesn't feel like pressure. It feels like entertainment. But the cumulative effect is the same. Teens absorb a version of normal that doesn't reflect reality and they start to measure themselves against it.
Pop culture defines what’s “normal”. And rarely shows the real harm.
Misinformation
“You hear so many different things, it’s hard to tell.”
Misinformation
Incomplete or inaccurate information fills in the gaps. Teens may hear, “it’s not that harmful”, “it helps you relax”, or misunderstand what most people actually do. Without clear, credible counterpoints, these narratives lower perceived risk and make use feel more acceptable.
When teens believe the majority is using, they don't want to be the odd one out. So some go along with something they never actually wanted to do. The misinformation rarely comes from one source, it comes from silence. When no one speaks honestly, the loudest assumption fills the void.
Mixed messages blur the truth. Making harm feel less real.
Create a Culture Where Teens Can Speak Up and Know They’re Not Alone
Teens already hold these beliefs. But culture decides whether they stay quiet or get spoken. These five steps create the conditions for those voices to be heard:
1
Listen
Listen for the voice that’s being challenged.
2
Show Up Where They Are
In the spaces they already live and move.
3
Speak Their Language
It should feel like something they would say and see.
4
Make It Visible
What feels private becomes powerful when shared.
5
Track the Shift
Because culture change leaves clues.
Listen
Find the Core Emotional Motivator (CEM)
At the center of every decision is something deeper. We call it the Core Emotional Motivator. It is what teens truly care about. What drives their choices. What shapes how they see themselves and their place in the world. It is rarely about alcohol or drugs. It is about belonging, identity, stress, and connection.
Why it matters:
The CEM is the foundation of our work. If you understand what matters to teens, you can connect in a way that feels real. If you miss it, nothing else sticks.
How we find it:
We listen for patterns, not just answers. What keeps coming up. What feels important. What feels at risk. Because what teens care about is where change begins.
Show Up Where They Are
Connection does not happen in isolation. It happens in the spaces where teens already live their lives. Classrooms. Cafeterias. Hallways. Sidelines. Social spaces. When you show up there, the message becomes part of their reality, not something separate from it.
Why it matters:
Context shapes how messages are received. The same message can feel irrelevant in one setting and meaningful in another. When you meet teens in their world, you reduce distance and increase trust.
How we do it:
We look for natural points of connection in their daily lives. Where are they already gathered? Where are they open, relaxed, and engaged? Where does conversation already exist? Because the right environment makes connection possible.
Speak Their Language
It is not just what you say. It is how it looks, sounds, and feels. If it does not reflect their world, it gets dismissed. The tone, the visuals, the references, the delivery. It all has to feel familiar, not constructed.
Why it matters:
Teens can tell when something is not for them. When it feels scripted or out of touch, they tune it out. But when it reflects them, they lean in. Because it feels real.
How we do it:
We build from what we hear and see. The way they talk. The way they show up visually. The platforms and spaces they use. We do not translate adult ideas. We reflect their world back to them.
Make It Visible
This is not subtle. It shows up loud, bold, and everywhere. A tailgate before the game. Music, energy, free pizza. A banner stretched across a building. Posters that take over a space completely. It does not blend in. It stands out.
Why it matters:
If they do not see it, it does not exist. Visibility is what turns a message into a moment. And a moment into something people talk about, share, and remember. When it is everywhere, it starts to feel real. When it feels real, it starts to feel normal.
How we do it:
We create experiences and visuals that match their world and their energy. Big, bold, unexpected placements. High-energy moments they want to be part of. Messages that reflect how they feel and what they care about. It is not just seen. It is felt. And when it feels right, they do not just notice it. They share it.
Track the Shift
Most efforts track whether teens are using. But behavior is hard to change on its own. We focus on what is driving it. What is shaping their decisions? What is influencing how they see risk? Often, it is perception of harm.
Why it matters:
When you shift the condition, behavior follows. If teens begin to see alcohol and other drugs as more harmful, they are more likely to speak up, push back, and make different choices.
How we do it:
We define the condition we want to change, then track the signals that show it is shifting. Changes in perception of harm. Increased willingness to speak up. Actions that reflect their true beliefs. We are not just measuring use. We are measuring what leads to it.
The Truth is Already There
Teens do not need to be convinced.
They need to be supported.
They need to see it.
Hear it.
Feel it from each other.
Because when they realize they are not alone,
everything changes.
And that is when culture begins to change.
The Social Change Agency
Limerent is a social impact agency dedicated to transforming how communities understand and navigate alcohol and other drugs. For over fifteen years, we have partnered with government agencies, hospitals, nonprofits, and community organizations to create messaging campaigns that shift perceptions, influence behavior, and drive meaningful change.
If you’re ready to change the culture in your community, we’re here to help.
Check Out the Possibility Project
In 2026 we are launching The Possibility Project. The Possibility Project is a dynamic engagement-driven marketing campaign that connects with, and engages, students both in person and digitally, driving consistent messaging across multiple platforms. The Possibility Project focuses on more than just awareness and knowledge by going deeper and changing youths' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors about alcohol and other drugs.
If you are interested in using the Possibility Project to create change in your community make and appointment to learn more:
Schedule a Call
Get Connected With Limerent: