HIGH-RISK DRINKING SETTINGS - THE ASSOCIATION OF SERVING AND PROMOTIONAL PRACTICES WITH HARMFUL DRINKING

A household survey of 1160 Western Australian adults was used as a bas is for exploring drinkers' reports about the settings in which they dr ank alcohol and their experiences of alcohol related harm. Of the 873 drinkers identified, 7.9% had experienced some form of acute alcohol r elated harm over the previous 3 months. Violent incidents were the mos t common of these and drink-driving offences the kast. Such harm was s ignificantly more likely among drinkers who variously drank 'heavily', were male, single, under 25 years of age and/or who drank on licensed premises. Regression analyses revealed that even when demographic cha racteristics of the drinkers were controlled for licensed premises wer e significantly more likely to be the settings used prior to harm occu rring. Barstaff continuing to serve 'obviously intoxicated' customers was the most powerful predictor of harm. Premises which offered discou nted drinks or permitted crowding also tended to be those where intoxi cation was permitted but these variables were not directly associated with an increased risk of harm. These findings lend further weight to the view that prevention efforts should focus on licensed drinking env ironments and, in particular, the practice of continuing to serve obvi ously intoxicated customers.