A Message to the Class of 2026
This is your time to learn, grow, and start shaping the future you want for yourself. Along the way, the choices you make matter. Choosing NO to underage drinking is one of the most powerful decisions you can make to protect your health, your focus, and your dreams.
Being alcohol-free under 18 is about backing yourself, choosing clarity, confidence, and the freedom to become your best self. It’s how Makers of Tomorrow are built. We’re cheering you on as you step into a year of positive choices, big goals, and endless possibility.
Welcome to the journey.
#NOtoU18 #MakersOfTomorrow #MakeTheRightChoice
About the Campaign
A 2026 reset: A Future to be Proud Of.
For young people, the choices they make today help shape the lives they’re building tomorrow.
This campaign invites learners to use 2026 as a fresh start - getting curious about who they want to become, the futures they imagine for themselves, and the paths that will take them there.
It’s built on the belief that responsibility is not about restriction, but about ambition. Saying no to underage drinking is a confident, future-focused choice, one that reflects self-belief, pride, and leadership.
Learners do not stand alone. Parents, educators, programme facilitators, peers, and responsible community businesses all form part of a wider support system, creating environments where positive choices are encouraged and underage drinking is socially unacceptable.
As a society, we all have a role to play in protecting young people’s potential.
Let’s start 2026 with purpose. Say NO to underage drinking.
#MakersOfTomorrow
An All-of-Society Approach
Protecting young people’s futures is not the responsibility of learners alone.
It takes parents, educators, programme facilitators, and community businesses working together to create environments where responsible choices are supported, encouraged, and normalised.
This campaign brings those voices together, showing learners that the people around them are aligned, invested, and walking the responsible journey with them.
Parents and Guardians
Support starts at home.
Parents and guardians were asked to reflect on their hopes for their children, how they support them in thinking about their future, and why the home environment plays such a powerful role in shaping choices.
Their voices reinforce a simple truth: when young people feel guided, supported and believed in at home, they are more confident in protecting their future, including choosing to say no to underage drinking.
These conversations show parenting not as control, but as care, consistency and belief in what a child can become.
Educators and School Leaders
Schools set the tone for what’s possible.
Educators and school leaders were asked why the start of the school year matters, how schools shape learner mindset, and why safe, positive environments support better decision-making.
Their responses highlight schools as spaces where ambition is nurtured, values are reinforced, and learners are reminded that their actions today have a direct impact on their future success.
When schools champion responsibility, learners are empowered to make choices they can be proud of.
Programme Facilitators and Youth Workers
Safe spaces create strong voices.
Programme facilitators were asked about the importance of creating safe spaces, what happens when young people are encouraged to reflect on their futures, and why trusted adults matter in youth development.
Their insights show how guided conversations help learners connect their goals to their choices, turning abstract ideas about the future into something personal, real and worth protecting.
These insights remind us of the importance for learners to be empowered to make choices they can be proud of.
Community and Business Owners
Communities protect what they value.
Tavern and bottle store owners were asked about their role in protecting young people, enforcing zero tolerance for underage sales, and shaping responsible community behavior.
Their participation makes the message visible beyond schools and homes, reinforcing that saying no to underage drinking is supported not just in words, but in action.
When communities stand together, responsible choices become the norm.
When the school gates open, opportunity enters.
As routines return and classrooms fill, many parents are left with a pressing concern: how to keep their children safe in an uncertain world. Preventing underage drinking starts with presence, conversation, and small, consistent actions that build trust over time.
Makers of Tomorrow
This is your time to learn, grow, and start shaping the future you want for yourself. Along the way, the choices you make matter.
#NotoU18 Programme
Our programme aims to eliminate alcohol consumption among individuals under 18.
Download the research
By downloading this research leaflet, you’ll gain a clear understanding of how young people engage with alcohol, what drives their behaviour, and which prevention strategies resonate most. This evidence can help inform your decisions, shape interventions, and support healthier communities.
