SYMBOLIC POLICY AND ALCOHOL ABUSE PREVENTION IN YOUTH
Abstract
In Canada, the prevalence of alcohol use among school-age students has emerged as a leading public health issue. Though governments at all levels have called for inter-organizational collaboration to address the issue, the representation of youth interests by key community groups is critical to the efficacy of those initiatives. This article describes the case of a community project supported by provincial and local governments in which an integrated community centre (ICC) was combined with a new high school. The ICC included a soccer centre, a track, and a licensed beverage room on the premises that opened on a daily basis. Government support for the ICC policy and related values is examined from the perspective of symbolic policy. The point is argued that the best interests of youth (the main interest group associated with the ICC) must be defined, represented and mobilized materially and symbolically in policy related to their well-being.
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