Evaluating a Sport-Based Mental Health Literacy Intervention in Australian Amateur Sporting Adolescents.

Youth amateur sporting environments present an untapped, under-researched, and potentially vital avenue for targeted mental health intervention programs. This study evaluates such an intervention in 12 sporting clubs, comprising of 330 Australian youth aged 12-15 years (M = 13.73, SD = 0.79). Mental health literacy, help-seeking intentions, and help-seeking behaviors were measured throughout the season using a repeated-measures experimental-control design. Multilevel modelling revealed the intervention successfully improved mental health literacy and help-seeking intentions in particular cohorts, such as youth scoring low in these constructs pre-intervention and youth who had not previously received the intervention. This study demonstrates the efficacy of interventions to effect positive change in amateur sporting youth, highlighting a convenient method to improve mental health in young people.

The development and validation of a multidimensional organisational trust measure.

Motivation for the study: Workplaces are changing with employees increasingly working remotely and flexibly, which has created larger physical distance between team members. This shift has consequences for trust research and implications for how trust is built and maintained between employees and leaders. Research design: Three studies collectively aimed to demonstrate how employee trust in leaders has adapted to a hybrid work environment. A validation of a seminal multidimensional employee trust in leaders measure was conducted. Also, an alternative multidimensional measure was developed, piloted, and then validated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Main findings: Findings showed the Affective and Cognitive Trust scale not to be sufficiently reliable or valid after testing with a sample working in a hybrid model of virtual and face to face work environments. However, the new measure demonstrated good reliability and validity. Implication: Findings reinforced that there are behavioural and relational elements to organisational trust, and there are two discreet dimensions to trustworthy behaviour: communication and authenticity.

Illicit drug use and male barroom aggression among members of the Australian construction industry: Associations with personality and masculinity factors.

INTRODUCTION: Illicit drug use has been found to increase the risks of male barroom aggression (MBA). Personality traits such as dispositional aggressiveness have been associated with illicit substance use and aggressive behaviour, along with social normative masculinity factors. The present study assessed the relationships between illicit drug use, key personality (trait aggression, impulsivity, narcissism) and masculinity (conformity to masculine norms, male honour) variables with physical MBA perpetration and victimisation among male Australian construction workers. METHODS: A purposive, high-risk sample of male construction workers aged 18-69 years (n = 476, Mage  = 25.90 years, SDage  = 9.44) completed interviews at their place of work or training. RESULTS: Participants reported high rates of both physical MBA perpetration (21%; n = 100) and victimisation (31.1%; n = 148) as well as any illicit drug use (33.61%; n = 160). Logistic regressions revealed the use of amphetamine-type stimulants (methamphetamine, ecstasy) was associated with violence perpetration, even after accounting for high-intensity drinking (HID) which was the strongest predictor of MBA involvement. Trait variables (Trait Physical aggressiveness, narcissism) and the masculine norm CMNI Violence were also risk factors for MBA perpetration while CMNI Playboy was protective against MBA. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The use of amphetamine-type stimulants is a risk-factor for MBA perpetration, as are key personality traits such as aggressiveness and narcissism. Most aspects of masculinity, including male honour, were either unrelated to or protective against involvement in physical violence in bars, clubs or pubs.

Alcohol-Involved Family and Domestic Violence Reported to Police in Australia.

Family and domestic violence (FDV) is a significant social issue that causes major harm across Australia. Alcohol has been identified as a contributing factor to FDV, and as such increased understanding of the role of alcohol in police-reported FDV incidents may provide the basis for developing specific clinical and forensic approaches. This study aims to identify the key correlates of alcohol-related FDV within police-reported FDV incidence. Data sourced from several states and territories across Australia were used to profile demographic and personal factors involved in police-reported FDV incidents, and to identify the types of incidents involving alcohol. For each state, three separate binary regressions were conducted for family violence, intimate partner violence, and FDV incidents in which alcohol was involved. Between 24% and 54% of FDV incidents reported to police were classified as alcohol-related. Although there appeared to be an association between relative socioeconomic disadvantage and an incident being alcohol-related, this association varied across states. Where victim and offender data were available, offenders were significantly more likely to be alcohol-affected than victims. Alcohol-related FDV incidents were also twice as likely to involve severe physical violence including injuries that were life threatening, as well as an increased likelihood of recidivism. This study demonstrates that alcohol plays a substantial role in police-reported FDV across Australia. It also demonstrates that other factors such as drug use, breach of orders, and repeat offending are associated with alcohol involvement across family violence and intimate partner violence.

Coercive Controlling Behaviors and Reporting Physical Intimate Partner Violence in Australian Women: An Exploration.

This study explores two approaches to measuring coercive controlling behaviors (CCBs)-counting how many different CCB types and examining the frequency of each CCB experienced-to examine their utility in explaining the relationship between CCBs and physical intimate partner violence (IPV). Australian women aged 18-68 years (n = 739; Mage = 31.58, SDage = 11.76) completed an online survey. Count and frequency CCB approaches yielded similar significant associations with increased physical IPV. Both approaches suggest that frightening behaviors in particular are significantly indicative of also experiencing physical IPV; however, when you count CCB types, public name-calling becomes important, whereas when you examine the frequency of each CCB type, jealousy/possessiveness becomes important. These findings suggest differential utility between measures of CCBs, which examine the frequency of specific CCB types and which count CCB types, and that both approaches are useful in understanding how coercion and control relate to physical violence within intimate relationships.

Factors Associated with Unwanted Sexual Attention in Australian Nightlife Districts: An Exploratory Study of Nightlife Attendees.

BACKGROUND: Experiences of unwanted sexual attention (UWSA) are commonplace within nightlife environments. While typically associated with aggression perpetration, literature has suggested that a history of childhood corporal punishment (CCP) may also be related to experiences of victimisation in nightlife environments. The current exploratory study aims to examine the associations between experiences of UWSA victimisation and a history of CCP, trait aggression, and conformity to masculine norms (Playboy and Winning), for males and females separately. METHOD: Street intercept interviews in the Brisbane inner-city entertainment precincts were used to measure demographic details and participants' breath alcohol concentration. Online follow-up surveys were used to record participants' experiences of UWSA on the night of interview, history of CCP, and self-reported rates of trait aggression and conformity to masculine norms. The final sample consisted of 288 females, as there were not sufficient male UWSA experiences for analysis. RESULTS: Approximately 20% of female nightlife patrons experienced some form of UWSA victimisation. Logistic regression analyses identified that after controlling for age and intoxication, a history of CCP, trait aggression and masculine norm conformity were unrelated to experiences of UWSA for female respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The current study found that individual factors were unrelated to experiences of UWSA, indicating that simply being in the nightlife environment, especially as a female, increases the risk of UWSA victimisation. Understanding and exploring social and environmental risk factors, rather than individual factors, is needed to prevent victimisation in nightlife environments.

Most common principal diagnoses assigned to Australian emergency department presentations involving alcohol use: a multi-centre study.

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in Australia and the consequences of alcohol consumption have enormous personal and social impacts. This study aimed to describe the principal diagnoses of emergency department (ED) presentations involving alcohol use in the previous 12 hours at eight hospitals in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. METHODS: Twelve months' data (1 July 2018 - 30 June 2019) were collected from eight EDs, including demographics, ICD-10 codes, hospital location and self-reported drinking in the preceding 12 hours. The ten most common ICD-10 discharge codes were analysed based on age, sex and hospital geographic area. RESULTS: ICD codes pertaining to mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol use accounted for the highest proportion in most EDs. Suicide ideation/attempt was in the five highest ICD codes for all but one hospital. It was the second most common alcohol-related presentation for both males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol plays a major role in a range of presentations, especially in relation to mental health and suicide. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: The collection of alcohol involvement in ED presentations represents a major step forward in informing the community about the burden of alcohol on their health resources.

A systematic mapping review of interventions to improve adolescent mental health literacy, attitudes and behaviours.

AIM: The onset of mental illness is most common in adolescence, therefore mental health promotion efforts frequently target this age group. Evaluation literature in this area is largely segmented into specific domains in terms of settings, countries, and/or groups of young people, but an overall understanding and comparison across these areas is lacking. The current review aims to provide such an overview of interventions/programs which attempt to improve adolescents' mental health literacy, attitudes/stigma and behaviours. METHODS: A systematic mapping review synthesized the strengths and weaknesses of published interventions/programs to improve mental health outcomes in youth. Ten databases and grey literature sources were searched, and results were categorized according to sample, location/setting, type of information presented, delivery and testing procedures, mental health outcome/s evaluated, and limitations. RESULTS: One hundred and forty articles met the inclusion criteria; 126 were original records and 14 were reviews. Mental health literacy and attitudes/stigma were examined most frequently, and studies were predominantly conducted in school-based environments and high income economies. Intervention/program effectiveness varied across outcome/s measured, setting, and control group usage, with mental health literacy exhibiting the most positive changes overall. Common limitations included no long-term follow up or control group inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: Despite generally positive changes seen throughout studies in this area, effectiveness differed across a range of methodological domains. Most research is conducted in schools and higher income economies, but the lack of investigation in other contexts (i.e., internet or community) or lower income countries suggests our understanding in this area is constrained.

The Role of Illicit Drug Use in Family and Domestic Violence in Australia.

Drug use has been shown to interact in complex ways with the occurrence and prevalence of family and domestic violence (FDV), with illicit drug use being associated with an increased risk for FDV. The current study aims to extend upon the literature by investigating the role of illicit drugs in intimate partner violence (IPV), family violence (FV), and other violence (violence between people other than partners or family) within a representative Australian sample (n = 5,118). Participants were recruited through an online survey panel and completed an online self-report survey assessing the role of alcohol and other drugs on violence, with a specific focus on FDV. Binary logistic regression showed that respondents who reported having used any illicit drug in the past 12 months (with or without alcohol use) had over three times the odds of experiencing any violence in the past 12 months (OR = 3.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [2.25, 4.48]) compared with those not using illicit drugs. Furthermore, drug involvement in FDV (IPV or FV) was significantly more likely than other violent incident types (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = [1.25, 2.19]). For the most recent FDV incident, age group was the only significant demographic predictor of drug involvement at this incident; younger age groups were over twice as likely to report drug involvement than those over 65 years of age. Drug involvement at the most recent FDV incident was also associated with over twice the odds of injury (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = [1.67, 3.38]) and significantly greater negative life impact. The findings that drug use increases both the risk for and impact of FDV indicate the need for policy that advocates for interventions addressing both drug use and violence in combination.

Situational Characteristics Uniquely Associated With Children's Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence.

Exposure to parental violence can have devastating consequences for children, including significant personal, social, and academic problems. The present study determined the situational factors that are associated with children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents. To examine whether these factors were unique to child witnesses' presence at IPV incidents, we also determined the factors that are associated with children's exposure to family violence (FV) and other family member witnesses' exposure to IPV incidents. Participants responded to an online panel survey investigating the role of alcohol and other drugs in family and domestic violence incidents in Australia. Nine hundred fifty-two respondents reported an IPV incident and 299 reported an FV incident; they provided details about their most recent incident. Results showed that child witnesses were more likely to be present during IPV incidents if the incident took place at home (odds ratio [OR] = 3.10), if a similar incident had occurred previously (OR = 1.66), if drugs were involved (OR = 1.60), and if a police report was made (OR = 2.61). There was some overlap with the other witness and violence combinations: The presence of a police report also predicted child witnesses' presence at FV incidents, and a home location also predicted other family member witnesses' presence at IPV incidents. These results enhance our understanding of the situations in which children might witness IPV incidents; future research is needed to determine whether these situational factors can be used to judge risk.

Alcohol use in family, domestic and other violence: Findings from a cross-sectional survey of the Australian population.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The link between alcohol and experience of violence is well-documented, but there is a paucity of empirical research on the role of alcohol specifically in family and domestic violence (FDV) in Australia. The aim of the current study was to describe the relationship between alcohol use and FDV in the Australian population, and to examine key differences between three different types of violence: family violence, intimate partner violence (IPV) and other violence. DESIGN AND METHODS: An online panel survey was conducted using a stratified random sampling design. RESULTS: In total, 5118 respondents were included, of whom 44.5% reported experiencing violence in their lifetime, and 6.0% reported recent (past year) experience of violence. Recent violent incidents were comprised of IPV (41.8%), family violence (13.1%) and other violence (45.1%). Approximately one-third of all violent incidents experienced (either as a victim or perpetrator) were alcohol-related, and 37.8% of respondents who experienced IPV and 27.8% of those who experienced family violence reported past year heavy-episodic drinking. Alcohol use was associated with higher rates of physical violence and injury at IPV incidents. Alcohol consumed at IPV incidents was most often purchased from a supermarket liquor store (37.0%) and consumed at the respondent's home, regardless of the distance between the purchase location and incident location. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: This study found that alcohol is frequently involved in FDV incidents, particularly IPV. Alcohol use was associated with a higher chance of physical violence and of injury at IPV incidents.

Off the rails-Evaluating the nightlife impact of Melbourne, Australia's 24-h public transport trial.

BACKGROUND: This paper evaluates the impact of the AU$83 million introduction of 24-h public transport (PT) in Melbourne, Australia on Friday and Saturday nights on a sample of nightlife venues and venue patrons. This sample was selected because a primary reason for the introduction of 24 h PT was to provide a safe means of travel home for nightlife attendees. METHODS: Covert venue observations (pre-post) and a convenience sample of nightlife patron interviews (post-only) were conducted to measure the impact of 24-h PT on venues and venue patrons. Specifically, the impact of 24-h PT on the proportion of people observed within venues (as rated on a 0-100% scale of venue capacity), patrons in venues showing any sign of intoxication, those who were observed to be too intoxicated to remain in the venue, patron drinking or drug taking behavior, train use, and the time and money spent in the night time economy were assessed. RESULTS: After 24-h PT was introduced there were no significant differences overall in the proportion of people observed within venues, or significant associations with the proportion of patrons showing any sign of intoxication or proportions who were observed to be too intoxicated to remain in the venue. However, when accounting for seasonality (matching-months), observed patron intoxication increased significantly after the introduction of 24-h PT. The majority of nightlife patrons did not report a change in their pre-drinking or drug taking behavior after 24-public transport, but 44% indicated spending more time in the night time economy, 27% reported spending more money, and 56% reported increasing their train use. CONCLUSION: Patron reports suggest that 24-h public transport has increased the amount of time people spend in nightlife settings without obviously impacting on drinking behavior. However, supplying 24-h public transport has resulted in greater self-reported use of public transport.

The Impact of Twenty Four-Hour Public Transport in Melbourne, Australia: An Evaluation of Alcohol-Related Harms.

OBJECTIVE: Transporting people out of nightlife districts is often cited as a major issue associated with alcohol-related harm. The Victorian Government introduced 24-hour public transport (24hr PT) in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday and Saturday nights in January 2016. After the 1-year trial period, funding was extended for a further 4 years, at a cost of more than AU$300 million to date. The current study aimed to determine whether 24hr PT reduced harms associated with the nightlife of Melbourne and whether there has been an increased number of people using the transport and visiting Melbourne city on Friday and Saturday nights. METHOD: Police assault data, ambulance attendance data, crash data, public transport use data, and pedestrian counting data were analyzed to determine the impact of 24hr PT on harms in the nightlife of Melbourne, as well as changes in the number of people using public transport and attending the city. RESULTS: There was no change from 2015 to 2016 in the number of police-recorded assaults, ambulance attendances, or crashes for the entirety of the night. There were significantly more people out in the city later in the evening, and more people using trains and trams during the 24hr PT time (i.e., 1 A.M.-5 A.M.). CONCLUSIONS: The initiative did not decrease harm in Melbourne nightlife, in contrast to industry, government, and expert predictions. With expenditures of more than AU$300 million, the costs and benefits of this initiative require further consideration and research, especially when it is proposed in opposition to evidence-based solutions, such as closing venues earlier.

Driving change: A partnership study protocol using shared emergency department data to reduce alcohol-related harm.

BACKGROUND: Sharing anonymised ED data with community agencies to reduce alcohol-related injury and assaults has been found effective in the UK. This protocol document outlines the design of an Australian multi-site trial using shared, anonymised ED data to reduce alcohol-related harm. DESIGN AND METHOD: Nine hospitals will participate in a 36 month stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial. After a 9 month baseline period, EDs will be randomised in five groups, clustered on geographic proximity, to commence the intervention at 3 monthly intervals. 'Last-drinks' data regarding alcohol use in the preceding 12 h, typical alcohol consumption amount, and location of alcohol purchase and consumption, are to be prospectively collected by ED triage nurses and clinicians at all nine EDs as a part of standard clinical process. Brief information flyers will be delivered to all ED patients who self-report risky alcohol consumption. Public Health Interventions to be conducted are: (i) information sharing with venues (via letter), and (ii) with police and other community agencies, and (iii) the option for public release of 'Top 5' venue lists. OUTCOMES: Primary outcomes will be: (i) the number and proportion of ED attendances among patients reporting recent alcohol use; and (ii) the number and proportion of ED attendances during high-alcohol hours (Friday and Saturday nights, 20.00-06.00 hours) assigned an injury diagnosis. Process measures will assess logistical and feasibility concerns, and clinical impacts of implementing this systems-change model in an Australian context. An economic cost-benefit analysis will evaluate the economic impact, or return on investment.

Correlates of verbal and physical aggression among patrons of licensed venues in Australia.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The current study aimed to examine the association between patron demographics and substance use, and experiences of verbal and physical aggressive incidents within the last 3 months among patrons of night-time entertainment precincts (NEP) in Australia. DESIGN AND METHODS: Patron interviews (n = 4216) were conducted around licensed venues in the NEPs of five Australian cities. Seven correlates of verbal and physical aggressive incidents were examined: gender, age, occupation, blood alcohol concentration, pre-drinking, energy drink use and illicit drug use in the current session. RESULTS: A total of 7.5% and 8.2% of respondents reported involvement in a verbally and physically aggressive incident in the past 3 months, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression models indicated men and people <25 years old were significantly more likely to report both verbal and physical aggressive incidents. A significant occupation effect showed lower levels of both verbal and physical aggression in managers/professionals compared with non-office workers. The likelihood of being involved in a verbally aggressive incident significantly increased with energy drink consumption, while the likelihood of being involved in a physically aggressive incident significantly increased with blood alcohol concentration, energy drink consumption and illicit drug use. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the different correlates of verbal and physical aggression within NEPs, suggesting they should be viewed as distinct types of violence, rather than points on a continuum. Major modifiable correlates with verbal and physical aggression included intoxication, energy drink consumption, and illicit drug use, suggesting the need for further interventions and policy development to address these key issues. [Hyder S, Coomber K, Pennay A, Droste N, Curtis A, Mayshak R, Lam T, Gilmore W, Chikritzhs T, Miller PG. Correlates of verbal and physical aggression among patrons of licensed venues in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2018;37:6-13].

Comparing levels of blood alcohol concentration and indicators of impairment in nightlife patrons.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Breathalyser estimate of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is widely used as an objective intoxication measure, but is not always practical in nightlife contexts. This study uses in situ data collected in nightlife environments to explore how four measures of intoxication are related so as to inform the development of a more practical and reliable method of differentiating intoxication for people working in the night-time economy. DESIGN AND METHODS: Nightlife patron interviews were conducted in five Australian cities. Participants completed demographic questions and were asked about current session (past 12 h) alcohol use, and four different measures of intoxication were assessed: BAC, participant's self-reported intoxication (0-10), interviewer rating of the participant's intoxication (0-10) and interviewer-rated number of the participants' of physical signs of intoxication. RESULTS: A total of 7028 patrons were surveyed and n = 5273 included in analysis. Mean age was 23.9 years (SD = 6.36); 61.5% were male. There was a significant difference in occurrence of all observable intoxication symptoms across differing levels of BAC (P < 0.001). All visible symptoms became more common as intoxication increased, except for talking very quickly/talkative and giggly symptoms. As BAC levels increase, the extent of the disagreement between self-rated and interviewer-rated intoxication measures widens. Exhibiting four or more visible intoxication symptoms emerged as a reliable method for observers to identify intoxicated patrons. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: As BAC increases, people become worse at estimating their own intoxication, but sober observers remain relatively accurate. Findings provide support for efforts to strengthen and enforce responsible service of alcohol.

Effectiveness of community-based interventions for reducing alcohol-related harm in two metropolitan and two regional sites in Victoria, Australia.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The relationship between alcohol intoxication and harm is well known, and many community-based interventions have been introduced in an attempt to reduce the rates of alcohol-related harm. The current paper uses two metropolitan and two regional Australian cities as sites to investigate the impact of community-based interventions on the reduction of alcohol-related harms. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data for injury-related emergency department (ED) presentations and police attended assaults during high-alcohol hours (i.e. 20:00-06:00 h, Friday and Saturday nights) were obtained for each site from 2000 to 2015 for ED presentations and from 2000 to 2016 for police assaults. Autoregressive integrated moving average time series analyses were conducted to determine the impact of the community-based interventions introduced at each site for reducing these rates of ED injury presentations and police attended assaults. RESULTS: None of the community-level interventions that were introduced across the four sites resulted in a reduction in ED presentation rates or assault rates. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The majority of interventions introduced across the four sites were proposed and implemented by local liquor accords. Given none of the interventions demonstrated a reduction in ED injury presentation rates or police attended assault rates, it is argued that local liquor accords may not be best placed to propose alcohol-related harm reduction measures, and instead, there should be a focus on the implementation of evidence-based regulatory strategies, such as restricted trading hours. [Curtis A, Coomber K, Droste N, Hyder S, Palmer D, Miller PG. Effectiveness of community-based interventions for reducing alcohol-related harm in two metropolitan and two regional sites in Victoria, Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:359-368].

Demographic and Substance Use Factors Associated with Non-Violent Alcohol-Related Injuries among Patrons of Australian Night-Time Entertainment Districts.

This study examined the relationship between patron demographics, substance use, and experience of recent alcohol-related accidents and injuries that were not due to interpersonal violence in night-time entertainment districts. Cross-sectional interviews (n = 4016) were conducted around licensed venues in entertainment districts of five Australian cities. Demographic factors associated with non-violent alcohol-related injuries were examined, including gender, age, and occupation. The association between substance use on the night of interview; blood alcohol concentration (BAC), pre-drinking, energy drink consumption, and illicit drug use; and experience of injury was also explored. Thirteen percent of participants reported an alcohol-related injury within the past three months. Respondents aged younger than 25 years were significantly more likely to report an alcohol-related injury. Further, a significant occupation effect was found indicating the rate of alcohol-related injury was lower in managers/professionals compared to non-office workers. The likelihood of prior alcohol-related injury significantly increased with BAC, and self-reported pre-drinking, energy drink, or illicit drug consumption on the night of interview. These findings provide an indication of the demographic and substance use-related associations with alcohol-related injuries and, therefore, potential avenues of population-level policy intervention. Policy responses to alcohol-related harm must also account for an assessment and costing of non-violent injuries.

Prevalence and correlates of drink driving within patrons of Australian night-time entertainment precincts.

BACKGROUND: Drink driving is a significant public health concern, and contributes to many road fatalities worldwide. The current study is the first to examine the prevalence and correlates of drink driving behavior in a sample of night-time entertainment precinct attendees in Australia. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 4214 night-time entertainment precinct attendees in two metropolitan and three regional cities in Australia. Seven correlates of self-reported drink driving were examined: gender, age, occupation, blood alcohol concentration (BAC), alcohol consumed prior to attending a licensed venue, energy drink consumption, and other drug consumption. RESULTS: Fourteen percent of night-time entertainment precinct attendees reported drink driving in the past three months. Bivariate logistic regression models indicated that males were significantly more likely than females to report drink driving in the past three months. Blue-collar workers and sales/clerical/administrative workers were significantly more likely to report drink driving behavior in the past three months than white-collar workers. The likelihood of reporting drink driving during the three months prior to interview significantly increased as BAC on the current night out increased, and when patrons reported engaging in pre-drinking or other drug use. The multivariate model presented a similar pattern of results, however BAC and pre-drinking on the night of the interview were no longer independent significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Males, blue collar/sales/clerical/administrative workers, and illicit drug consumers were more likely to report engaging in drink driving behavior than their counterparts. Interventions should focus on addressing the considerable proportion night-time entertainment precinct attendees who report engaging in drink driving behavior.

Correlates and motives of pre-drinking with intoxication and harm around licensed venues in two cities.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The study investigates the prevalence of pre-drinking culture in the night-time economy (NTE) and its impact upon intoxication and alcohol-related harm and violence experienced by patrons. DESIGN AND METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in and around licensed venues in Newcastle (NSW) and Geelong (Victoria) during peak trading hours (typically 9pm-1am). Participants completed a five minute structured interview which targeted: demographics, past and planned movements on the survey night, safety/experience of harm, and patron intoxication. 3949 people agreed to be interviewed, a response rate of 90.7%. Around half (54.9%) of interviewees were male and mean age was 24.4 years (SD = 5.8). RESULTS: 66.8% of participants reported pre-drinking prior to attending licensed venues. On a 1-10 scale measuring self-rated intoxication, pre-drinkers scored significantly higher compared to non pre-drinkers (P < 0.001). Compared to non-pre-drinkers, patrons who had consumed 6-10 standard pre-drinks were 1.5 times more likely to be involved in a violent incident in the past 12 months (OR = 1.50, 95%CI 1.03-2.19, P = 0.037) increasing to 1.8 times more likely for patrons who had 11-15 drinks (OR = 1.80, 95%CI 1.04-3.11 P = .036). Pre-drinking was also associated with both self-rated and observer-rated intoxication, as well as increased probability of illicit drug use. Amongst pre-drinkers, price was the most commonly reported motive for pre-drinking (51.8%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 'Pre-drinking' was normal behaviour in the current sample and contributes significantly to the burden of harm and intoxication in the NTE. Price disparity between packaged vs. venue liquor is a key motivator for pre-drinking.