Why does social norms marketing work?
It works because people misperceive the prevalence of harmful behaviors associated with alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use around them. For example, youth think that there is much more acceptance and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by their peers than is actually the case. If they misperceive the norms in the environment to be much more excessive than they really are, they have a tendency to drink, use drugs or tobacco to fit in with these “imaginary peers.” When the true norms are perceived and kids realize that by not using tobacco or other drugs they are actually fitting in with the majority of their peers, they are given permission to belong by abstaining and being who they are. A study conducted by Dr. Jeff Linkenbach and Dr. Wesley Perkins in early 1999 found that while only 29% of 18-24 year old males “binge” drank in the last two weeks, 99% of this peer group thought the average Montana male their age had “binge” drank in the past two weeks. (binge drinking is d
