dc.contributor.author | Devilly, Grant J | |
dc.contributor.author | Allen, Corey | |
dc.contributor.author | Brown, Kathleen | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2018-06-14T01:00:18Z | |
dc.date.available | 2018-06-14T01:00:18Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2017 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 0955-3959 | |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.02.013 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10072/344417 | |
dc.description.abstract | Background: There is a growing trend of preloading with alcohol before entering entertainment districts.
It is claimed that this occurs to save money and that preloading may be a good indicator of harmful
drinking and risk taking behaviours more generally. No study has collected data from a large sample as
the participants entered entertainment districts and measured blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels
and self-reported drinking and risk taking behaviours in a systematic way.
Methods: In this research, police and academics worked together to gauge the breadth and depth of
preloading behaviours. In all, 3039 people completed a questionnaire and were breathalysed as they
entered entertainment districts in Queensland, Australia. Of those, 2751 represented people from
Brisbane and this data, collected every Thursday night to Sunday morning during the warm months, was
analysed.
Results: More than 79% of people reported to preload and 71% returned a BAC greater than zero, both with
little difference between the genders. Of preloaders, the mean BAC was 0.071, with ‘to socialise with
friends’ being the primary reason given for preloading. Increasing preloading BAC was related to
increasing risk taking and antisocial behaviours, as well as alcohol abuse and dependence. Older people
entering entertainment districts had more accurate estimates of their BAC, yet 20% of our sample did not
understand how the BAC system worked. Conducting the research was associated with a higher access
rate to police and a lower arrest rate in the areas of data collection in comparison to the same nights
1 year earlier.
Conclusion: Preloading is widespread and involves moderate to heavy drinking in the Australian
population visiting entertainment districts. Any interventions to curb drinking behaviours and reduce
violence in night time entertainment districts need to involve approaches aimed at cultural phenomena,
such as preloading behaviours. | |
dc.description.peerreviewed | Yes | |
dc.language | English | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.publisher | Elsevier | |
dc.relation.ispartofpagefrom | 130 | |
dc.relation.ispartofpageto | 139 | |
dc.relation.ispartofjournal | International Journal of Drug Policy | |
dc.relation.ispartofvolume | 43 | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearch | Biomedical and clinical sciences | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearch | Human society | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearch | Sociology not elsewhere classified | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearch | Psychology | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearch | Other psychology not elsewhere classified | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode | 32 | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode | 44 | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode | 441099 | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode | 52 | |
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode | 529999 | |
dc.title | SmartStart: Results of a large point of entry study into preloading alcohol and associated behaviours | |
dc.type | Journal article | |
dc.type.description | C1 - Articles | |
dc.type.code | C - Journal Articles | |
gro.faculty | Griffith Health, School of Applied Psychology | |
gro.hasfulltext | No Full Text | |
gro.griffith.author | Devilly, Grant J. | |