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Citation
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Pennay A, Miller P, Busija L, Jenkinson R, Droste N, Quinn B, Jones SC, Lubman DI. Addiction 2014; 110(2): 356-365. |
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Affiliation
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Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne & Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia. |
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Abstract
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AIMS: We tested whether patrons of the night-economy who had co-consumed energy drinks or illicit stimulants with alcohol had higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels than patrons who had consumed only alcohol.
DESIGN: Street intercept surveys (n=4227) were undertaken between 9pm-5am over a period of seven months. SETTING: Interviews were undertaken with patrons walking through entertainment precincts, queuing to enter venues, or exiting venues, in five Australian cities. PARTICIPANTS: The response rate was 92.1%; more than half of the study sample was male (60.2%) and the median age was 23 years (range 18-72). MEASUREMENTS: Data were collected on demographics, length of drinking session, venue types visited, types and quantity of alcohol consumed and other substance use. A BAC reading was recorded and a sub-sample of participants were tested for other drug use.
FINDINGS: Compared to alcohol-only consumers (0.068%), illicit stimulant consumers (0.080%; p=.004) and energy drink consumers (0.074%; p<.001) had a significantly higher mean BAC reading, and were more likely to engage in pre-drinking (66%, 82% and 78% respectively, p<.001) and longer drinking sessions (4 hours, 5 hours and 4.5 hours respectively, p<.001). However, stimulant use was not independently associated with higher BAC in the final multivariable model (illicit stimulants p=.198; energy drinks p=.112). Interaction analyses showed that stimulant users had a higher BAC in the initial stages of the drinking session, but not after 4-6 hours.
CONCLUSIONS: While stimulant use does not predict BAC in and of itself, stimulants users are more likely to engage in prolonged sessions of heavy alcohol consumption and a range of risk-taking behaviours on a night out, which may explain higher levels of BAC among stimulants users, at least in the initial stages of the drinking session.
Language: en |