Dealing with alcohol-related problems in the night-time economy: a study protocol for mapping trends in harm and stakeholder views surrounding local community level interventions

This project will provide a comprehensive investigation into the prevalence of alcohol-related harms and community attitudes in the context of community-based interventions being implemented to reduce harm in two regional centres of Australia. While considerable experimentation and innovation to address these harms has occurred in both Geelong and Newcastle, only limited ad-hoc documentation and analysis has been conducted on changes in the prevalence of harm as a consequence, leaving a considerable gap in terms of a systematic, evidence-based analysis of changes in harm over time and the need for further intervention. Similarly, little evidence has been reported regarding the views of key stakeholder groups, industry, government agencies, patrons or community regarding the need for, and the acceptability of, interventions to reduce harms. This project will aim to provide evidence regarding the impact and acceptability of local initiatives aimed at reducing alcohol-related harms.

Dealing with alcohol-related harm and the night-time economy

Alcohol-related problems are a major cause of social disorder and illness in Australia. In particular, problems associated with the night-time economies of urban and regional centres cause substantial community concern and are a considerable drain on police, community and health resources. The estimated cost of alcohol to the community is $15.3 billion, including costs associated with crime, violence, patient treatment, loss of productivity and premature deaths in 2004–05 (Collins 2008). Alcohol has also been identified as a factor in around three quarters of assaults and incidents of offensive behaviour on the street (Buss 1995). Previous research has identified several issues that contribute to the levels of short-term harm associated with risky drinking. These include: excessive consumption at licensed premises, consumption in public areas and lack of transport and security in entertainment precincts (Homel et al. 1992; Graham & Homel 2008).

Drinking in licensed venues is another predictor of harm and public disorder. More than half of offences occurring on the street have been associated with licensed premises in Australia (Buss 1995). A complex range of factors increase risky drinking and associated harms on licensed premises including: aspects of patron mix; levels of comfort, boredom, and intoxication; promotions that cause mass intoxication; and the behaviour of security/bouncers (Homel et al. 1992). Violence has also been shown to be perpetuated by poor venue management, lax police surveillance, lack of transport options for patrons, and inappropriate bureaucratic controls and legislation (Homel et al. 1992). This project aims to provide evidence-based knowledge regarding the implementation and impact of innovative local initiatives directed at alcohol-related harms.

The effect of community interventions on alcohol-related assault in Geelong, Australia

Alcohol has consistently been demonstrated to increase levels of aggression and violence, particularly in late night licensed venues. Since 2005, the City of Geelong in Australia has implemented a substantial number of interventions to reduce alcohol related violence, including a liquor accord, increased police surveillance, ID scanners, CCTV, a radio network and an alcohol industry sponsored social marketing campaign. The aim of the current study is to assess the individual and collective impact of community interventions on indicators of alcohol-related assaults in the Geelong region. This paper reports stage one findings from the Dealing with Alcohol-related problems in the Night-time Economy project (DANTE) and specifically examines assault rate data from both emergency department presentations, ICD-10 classification codes, and police records of assaults. None of the interventions were associated with reductions in alcohol-related as-sault or intoxication in Geelong, either individually or when combined. However, the alcohol industry sponsored social marketing campaign ‘Just Think’ was associated with an increase in assault rates. Community level interventions appeared to have had little effect on assault rates during high alcohol times. It is also possible that social marketing campaigns without practical strategies are associated with increased assault rates. The findings also raise questions about whether interventions should be targeted at reducing whole-of-community alcohol consumption.

Demographic risk factors for alcohol-related aggression in and around licensed venues

AIMS: Few studies have examined the role of gender and both area-level and individual socio-economic status (SES) as independent predictors of alcohol-related aggression (ARA) in and around licensed venues. METHODS: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between gender, area-level SES and individual SES (operationalised as occupational category) and ARA in and around licensed venues. The sample comprised 697 men and 649 women aged 16-47, who completed a patron intercept survey as part of a larger study assessing trends in harm and stakeholders' views surrounding local community level interventions in dealing with alcohol-related problems in the night-time economy. RESULTS: Binary logistic regression analyses showed that age, gender, occupational category, area-level SES and level of intoxication at time of interview were all significant predictors of involvement in ARA. Being male doubled the odds of involvement in ARA, while age was a protective factor. Blue collar workers had more than double the odds of ARA involvement of professionals, while those living in the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas were over twice as likely to report experiencing ARA compared to those living in the most advantaged areas. However, assessment of the predictive model by gender revealed that effects of age, occupational category and area-level SES were restricted to male participants, with greater intoxication no longer predictive. CONCLUSIONS: ARA among patrons was significantly more likely to occur among men, those in blue collar occupations, and individuals living in low SES areas, suggesting both individual and area-level disadvantage may play a role in ARA.

Family recovery from youth substance use related problems : a pilot study of the BEST plus program

Youth substance use related problems are increasingly common, and families experience considerable stress in attempting to cope with these problems. A pilot study of 34 Australian parents from 21 families (38% sole parent families) participating in an 8-week group program, designed to assist families recover from youth substance use related problems, provided the context to explore family change processes. Participants reported a number of significant improvements over the course of the four groups that ran from late 2003 and through 2004. Regression analyses found general support for the program logic model in identifying significant associations between program-targeted parent changes and post-program improvements in stress symptoms and cohesive family behaviors. The study's limitations are noted.

Three dimensions of the male gender role as correlates of alcohol and cannabis involvement in young Australian men

This study examined 3 aspects of the male gender role and their relationship to alcohol and cannabis involvement in young adult Australian men (N = 160) aged between 18 and 25 years. Higher scores on the Restrictive Emotionality scale, which assessed gender ,role conflict, were found to relate to both alcohol-related problems and cannabis use. Higher scores on the Antifemininity scale, which assessed traditional attitudes toward men, were also found to be associated with alcohol-related problems. However, lower scores on another aspect of gender role conflict, Restrictive Affectionate Behavior Between Men, and lower scores on one aspect of traditional attitudes toward men, Status Rationality, correlated with higher frequency levels of alcohol and cannabis use.

Does the tendency to act impulsively underlie binge eating and alcohol use problems? An empirical investigation

The co-occurrence of problem drinking and binge eating and purging has been well documented. However, there has been relatively little investigation of etiological models that may influence the development of this  co-occurrence. This study tests the hypotheses that impulsivity is heightened in eating disordered women compared with controls, and that women with comorbid bulimia and alcohol use disorders show higher impulsivity than bulimic-only women. The Impulsivity scale, BIS/BAS scales, State Anxiety Inventory, and a behavioural measure of reward responsiveness (CARROT) were administered to 22 women with bulimia, 23 women with comorbid bulimia and alcohol abuse/dependence, and 21 control women. As hypothesised, eating disordered women scored higher than controls on several self-report measures of impulsivity and sorted cards faster during a financially rewarded trial on the behavioural task. Also, as predicted, comorbid women scored higher than bulimic women on the Impulsivity scale. These findings suggest that individual differences in impulsiveness and a tendency to approach rewarding stimuli may contribute to developing these disorders.

Reactivity to alcohol-related cues: relationship among cue type, motivational processes, and personality

This study examined the relationship between personality traits implicated in the drinking literature (i.e., sensation seeking and anxiety) and reactivity to 2 different alcohol cues. The opportunity to consume alcohol was manipulated, and differences in urge and affective reactivity were assessed. Gray’s (1987) model of impulsive sensation seeking and anxiety was adopted to investigate relationships between personality and responses to the appetitive (consumption) and aversive (no consumption, nonrewarding) alcohol cues in 40 regular social drinkers. The consumption cue produced increases in appetitive motivation and positive correlations with sensation-seeking traits. The no-consumption cue produced increases in aversive motivation and positive correlations with anxiety-related traits. It was concluded that Gray’s model of impulsive sensation seeking and anxiety may provide a useful framework for examining the personality correlates of cue reactivity to different cues.

Prediction of alcohol-related harm from controlled drinking stragegies and alcohol consumption trajectories

Aims To establish predictors of age 21 alcohol-related harm from prior drinking patterns, current levels of alcohol consumption and use of controlled drinking strategies.
Participants One thousand, five hundred and ninety-six students recruited from an initial sample of 3300 during their final year of high school in 1993.
Design Longitudinal follow-up across five waves of data collection.
Setting Post high school in Victoria, Australia.
Measurements Self-administered surveys examining a range of health behaviours, including alcohol consumption patterns and related behaviour.
Findings Drinking behaviours at age 21 were found to be strongly predicted by drinking trajectories established through the transition from high school. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that alcohol-related harms at age 21 were reduced where current levels of alcohol use fell within limits recommended in Australian national guidelines. After controlling for this effect it was found that the range of strategies employed by participants to control alcohol use maintained a small protective influence. Post-high-school drinking trajectories continued to demonstrate a significant effect after controlling for current behaviours. Findings revealed that over one quarter of males and females drank alcohol, but on a less-than-weekly basis. This pattern of alcohol use demonstrated considerable stability through the post-school transition and was associated with a low level of subsequent harm at age 21.
Conclusions Future research should investigate whether encouraging more Australian adolescents to drink alcohol on a less-than-weekly basis may be a practical intervention target for reducing alcohol-related harms.

The influence of sensitivity to reward on reactivity to alcohol-related cues

Aims. To investigate the role of sensitivity to reward in mediating social drinkers' reactivity to alcohol cues. Design. A standard cue-reactivity paradigm was employed. Two groups of social drinkers (heavy and ight) were assessed after exposure to the sight, smell and taste of a neutral cue (water) and then an alcohol cue (glass of beer). Setting. Sessions were conducted in a laboratory based environment. Participants. Twenty heavy (12 males, eight females) and 18 light social drinkers (seven males, 11 females) were recruited; mean age was 23.6 years. Measurements. The Card Arranging Reward Responsivity Objective Test (CARROT), assessing behavioural responsiveness to a monetary incentive; urge to drink; positive affect; and the BAS scales, assessing sensitivity to reward. Findings. Heavy drinkers displayed a significant increase in responsivity to rewards (i.e. CARROT) and self-reported urge to drink, bur not positive affect, after exposure to alcohol. For the heavy drinkers, heightened sensitivity to reward (i.e. BAS scales) was significantly related to cue-elicited urge to drink and positive affect. Conclusion. The results are consistent with a conditioned appetitive motivational model of alcohol use and suggest that Gray's theory of personality may be of some benefit in explaining variation in reactivity responses.

Prediction of alcohol-related harm from controlled drinking strategies and alcohol consumption trajectories

Aims To establish predictors of age 21 alcohol-related harm from prior drinking patterns, current levels of alcohol consumption and use of controlled drinking strategies.

Participants One thousand, five hundred and ninety-six students recruited from an initial sample of 3300 during their final year of high school in 1993.

Design Longitudinal follow-up across five waves of data collection.

Setting Post high school in Victoria, Australia.

Measurements Self-administered surveys examining a range of health behaviours, including alcohol consumption patterns and related behaviour.

Findings Drinking behaviours at age 21 were found to be strongly predicted by drinking trajectories established through the transition from high school. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that alcohol-related harms at age 21 were reduced where current levels of alcohol use fell within limits recommended in Australian national guidelines. After controlling for this effect it was found that the range of strategies employed by participants to control alcohol use maintained a small protective influence. Post-high-school drinking trajectories continued to demonstrate a significant effect after controlling for current behaviours. Findings revealed that over one quarter of males and females drank alcohol, but on a less-than-weekly basis. This pattern of alcohol use demonstrated considerable stability through the post-school transition and was associated with a low level of subsequent harm at age 21.

Conclusions Future research should investigate whether encouraging more Australian adolescents to drink alcohol on a less-than-weekly basis may be a practical intervention target for reducing alcohol-related harms.

"As long as it doesn't spill over into class": harms arising from students` alcohol use, and the role of policy in reducing them

While there is considerable evidence about the prevalence of student alcohol use, little empirical work has examined the range and level of exposure to alcohol-related risks facing student populations, and the views of key stakeholders about these. This study was conducted at a large multi-campus university in order to gauge the scale and severity of students’ alcohol-related problems, and ways in which these may be mitigated. Student perspectives on campus based policy making with respect to alcohol were also canvassed. This study utilised a range of evaluative instruments, including standardised questionnaire protocols, structured interviews and focus groups. Data gained from students showed a large level of exposure to alcohol-related harm, and staff informants reported student harms such as drink-driving, interpersonal aggression, social nuisance, inadequate security, sexually risky behaviour, and physical malaise. As a group, students seem receptive to campus-based policies that have a harm reduction focus, but are less supportive of institutionalised measures aimed at the student body. Given the divergence of views about the harms arising from student drinking, and a general repudiation of institutional policy measures which may lessen these, the development of harm-reducing policy on alcohol remains challenging.

Z-pin bridging in composite laminates and some related problems

This paper reviews our recent studies on z-pinning of composite laminates. The contents include theoretical, numerical and experimental studies on the Mode I and Mode II z-pinned delamination growth and the corresponding bridging laws. Test methods to evaluate the z-pin bridging law will be discussed. Comparisons of experimental results and theoretical predictions for the z-pinned double-cantilever-beam (DCB) subjected to mode I delamination with a pre-determined bridging law are provided to confirm the reliability of the methods. A parametric study by finite element method (FEM) is presented for both Mode I and Mode II z-pinned delaminations. In addition, the effect of loading rate on z-pinned DCB delamination and the bridging effect of z-pinning on the buckling of composite laminates are also given.