Citation

Gilmore W, Symons M, Liang W, Graham K, Kypri K, Miller P, Chikritzhs T. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022; 19(12): e7026.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph19127026

PMID

35742275

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Associations between bar trading hours, a government lever for controlling alcohol availability, nightlife-goer intoxication levels and their likelihood of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have not been explored. We investigated whether: (i) participant AUD was associated with blood alcohol concentration (BAC); and, (ii) any association between AUD and BAC was moderated by participant preferred bar (i.e., venue spent most time at) closing time. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study using a sample of nightlife-goers who went out drinking in Perth, Western Australia, on weekends in 2015-16. Participants who reported alcohol use that night and spent most time in a bar (n = 667) completed street intercept surveys including AUDIT-C (n = 459) and provided a breath sample to estimate BAC (n = 651). We used gender-specific multinomial logistic regression models to explore associations between participant AUDIT-C score (1-4, lower risk; 5-7, hazardous; 8-12, active AUD), preferred bar type (standard vs. late closing time based on absence or presence of an extended trading permit) and BAC (male: 0-0.049, 0.05-0.099, ≥0.1 g/100 mL; female: 0-0.049, 0.05-0.079, ≥0.08 g/100 mL).

RESULTS: Males with active AUD (RR = 3.31; 95% CI 1.30-8.42; p = 0.01) and females with hazardous/active AUD (RR = 9.75; 95% CI 2.78-34.21; p < 0.001) were both more likely to have high-range BAC than their counterparts typically drinking at lower risk. We also found preferred bar type moderated the association between AUDIT-C score and BAC for some males but no females. Males with active AUD and high-range BAC were less likely to prefer late closing bars than males usually drinking at lower risk and high-range BAC (RR = 0.12; 95% CI 0.02-0.96; p = 0.046).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence of positive associations between AUD and acute intoxication among nightlife-goers and on the moderating effect of bar closing times among males.

Language: en

Keywords

BAC; blood alcohol concentration; trading hours; alcohol policy; alcohol use disorders; AUDIT-C; bars; closing times; nightlife-goers; on-trade licensed outlets