Alcohol-related harms and street service care in entertainment districts

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-01-2017-0002
Pages142-152
Published date12 June 2017
Date12 June 2017
AuthorCatherine A. Quinn,Leanne Hides,Anna Harding,Dominique de Andrade,Hollie Wilson,Lance Mergard
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology
Invited paper
Alcohol-related harms and street service
care in entertainment districts
Catherine A. Quinn, Leanne Hides, Anna Harding, Dominique de Andrade, Hollie Wilson and
Lance Mergard
Abstract
Purpose Significant alcohol use increases the risk of injuries and violence in young people. The purpose of
this paper is to examine factors associated with receiving street service care for alcohol intoxication,alcohol-
related injury or violence among young people in a night-time economy (NTE).
Design/methodology/approach Participants included 217 young adults, 135 of whom required street
service care on a Friday or Saturday evening in an Australian entertainment district. The remaining 88 young
adults were a matched control sample. Participants were surveyed and provided a breathalyser sample.
A multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between blood alcohol content
(BAC) level, subjective intoxication, gender, illicit drug use, age, preloading, total drinks consumed, and the
receipt of care for intoxication, injury, or violence.
Findings Of those who received care, 70.4 per cent received it for intoxication, 19.3 per cent for injury, and
10.3 per cent following a violent incident. Male gender and high BAC level were associated with receiving
support following a violent incident. High-subjective intoxication and female gender were associated with
receiving support for injury.
Practical implications Results demonstrate the factors associated with receiving street service care for
young people in the NTE experiencing non-emergent health needs. Further research is required to examine
the impact of such a service on crime, injuries, and frontline service resources.
Originality/value This is the first study to examine factors associated with receiving street service care for
alcohol intoxication, injury, or violence in a NTE. Results inform policy and practice relating to the provision of street
service care in the NTE for non-emergent health problems, and how this interrelates with other frontline services.
Keywords Violence, Young people, Injury, Alcohol intoxication, Blood alcohol concentration (BAC),
Night-time economy
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Night-time econo mies (NTEs) often att ract large numbers of young people cons uming
excessive amounts of alcohol placing them at ri sk of alcohol-rela ted injuries, illne sses, and
violence (Bellis et al., 2010; Hughes et al., 2011; Miller et al., 2014; Moore et al., 2011). A recent
street survey of 6,804 participants across five NTEs in Australia found 14 per cent of
participants had been injured, or caused injury, and 17 per cent had been involved in an
incident of verbal , physical or sexual aggression, in the t hree months prior (Miller et al., 2013).
One similar study i n the UK found 10.5 per cent of NTE dr inkers had been involved in a fight in
the 12 months prior ( Hughes et al., 2008). Alcohol use among young people in entertainment
districts is evidently a major public health issue and places a significant strain on emergency
health and police s ervices. In assessi ng alcohol-relate d problems presenti ng to frontline
services there has been a predominant focus on emergency departments (ED). Over recent
Received 10 January 2017
Revised 24 February 2017
Accepted 24 February 2017
Leanne Hides is supported by an
Australian Research Council Future
Fellowship (FT120100780). The
authors would like to acknowledge
the assistance in recruitment by
the ChaplainWatch staff and the
young people who have agreed to
participate in this research.
The authorsaffiliations can be
found at the end of this article.
PAGE142
j
JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH,POLICY AND PRACTICE
j
VOL. 3 NO. 2 2017, pp.142-152, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-3841 DOI 10.1108/JCRPP-01-2017-0002

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