The plan is to have the advertisement, aimed at drinkers aged 18-24, on air across WA in time for the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

KAAP research associate health promotion, Natalie Ord, said Kalgoorlie-Boulder promotions consultant Lisa van Oyen and local video producer Gary Brown had been appointed to the project.

Ms Ord said the organisation already had “about 20 people on our list” who were prepared to help make the advertisement and were seeking more volunteers to help try and get the message about the risks and community cost of excessive drinking across.

“We're not wowsers, we are not trying to stop people having a good time, we are just trying to get the message about excessive drinking or binge drinking across to the people most at risk,” Ms Ord said.

“We are chipping away at the issue (of excessive drinking). We are having to work very hard to put down that perception that it's ok to go out and get smashed.

“KAAP uses the slogan Take AIM – alcohol in moderation. We would like to bring about a change in public perceptions about excessive drinking similar to what occurred with smoking,” she said.

Ms Ord said KAAP had surveyed 70 people aged from 18 to 33 on who they thought a television advertisement about excessive drinking should be aimed at.

The survey strongly suggested the target audience should be the 18-24 age group she said.

Project supervisor, Fredrik Velander, said the whole community “paid a premium” because of excessive drinking.

“People who don't drink still pay part of the overall cost to the community of excessive drinking when they pay their health insurance or their car insurance or their taxes – everyone pays,” Mr Velander said.

“The cost of alcohol-related accidents, alcohol-related health problems and productivity losses due to excessive alcohol consumption or hangovers while recovering from excessive alcohol consumption, is not restricted just to drinkers,” he said.

KAAP was established two and a half years ago and is a collaboration between the National Drug Research Institute at Curtain University, the local Drug Action Group and other agencies including police and health department.

For more information contact Ms Ord on 9088 6772 or n.ord@curtin.edu.au