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This paper critically examines competing media discourses about women's alcohol consumption as spectators at the Melbourne Cup, a historically prestigious annual Australian horse race. Taking a feminist poststructural lens, this paper identifies how print media representations of the female drinking subject can provide a multitude of subject positions that can be contradictory and subversive, offering possibilities for resistance to idealised middle-class gendered norms about women and drinking. This paper provides new insights into print media portrayals of "unruly" female spectators and their alcohol consumption at public events such as the Melbourne Cup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends our understanding of how casino patrons are affected by COVID-19 restrictions and how they cope by substituting gambling with alcohol consumption. We conducted two studies using a nationwide survey sample collected in Australia during the pandemic lockdown. Study 1 compares the casino patrons with two reference groups (other gambling patrons and non-gambling individuals) and investigates the lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength, and their potential impact on mental health and future prospects. Study 2 applies the stress-response dampening model (SRD) and tests how respondents used alcohol consumption to cope with the lack of access to casinos during the lockdown. The results from Study 1 suggest that lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength have significant negative impacts on anxiety, life satisfaction and post-pandemic outlook. Study 2 finds that casino patrons substituted gambling with alcohol consumption during the lockdown, with increased alcohol consumption negatively related to life satisfaction. Paradoxically, Australian gambling venue owners may not be adversely affected as many also run liquor retail operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper aimed to document alcohol use during pregnancy and determine predictors of ongoing use, including knowledge and agreement with national alcohol guideline recommendations. Methods: Pregnant women (n = 1179) attending public antenatal services in a Local Health District in NSW, Australia, were surveyed about their alcohol use before pregnancy and after pregnancy recognition, and awareness of, and agreement with, national alcohol guidelines and health‐related statements. Respondent characteristics, drinking behaviour and predictors of ongoing drinking during pregnancy were assessed. Results: Most women consumed alcohol before pregnancy (79.3%) but the majority (82.0%) stopped following pregnancy recognition. Half the ongoing drinkers only drank on special occasions. Most (63.6%) women were aware of the national guidelines: 78.1% knew the recommendation that consuming no alcohol in pregnancy is safest, 4.6% thought some alcohol was safe and 17.3% were unsure. Predictors [OR (95%CI)] of ongoing drinking were older age [1.11 (1.07, 1.15)]; medium [2.42 (1.46, 4.00)] or high‐risk drinking pre‐pregnancy [3.93 (2.35, 6.56)]; and agreement that: avoiding alcohol in pregnancy is safest [0.05 (0.006, 0.47)]; avoiding alcohol is important for baby's health [0.14 (0.06, 0.31)] and pregnancy is a good time to change alcohol use for mother's health [0.29 (0.13, 0.63)]. Discussion and Conclusions: Results emphasise the importance of asking about special occasion drinking, the link between pre‐pregnancy drinking and ongoing drinking during pregnancy, and the need to understand why women disagree with the national guideline. To ensure guidelines have their intended benefit, interventions to promote behaviour change relating to alcohol consumption during pregnancy are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual minority young people use licit and illicit substances at disproportionate levels. However, little is known about the perceptions of substance use among members of LGBT communities. This paper reports the results of a content analysis of 45 semi-structured interviews about substance use in LGBT communities with sexual minority young people (n = 31) and community stakeholders (n = 14). Results indicated both sexual minority youth and community stakeholders perceived the use and acceptance of substances to be higher in LGBT communities compared to the general population. Participants identified a range of characteristics potentially leading to higher levels of substance use including peer pressure, high exposure to substance use, and the high concentrations of licensed venues in LGBT communities. Marginalisation, discrimination and mental health were also perceived as important reasons for these disparities. Community stakeholders identified a range of potential interventions including legislation to address discrimination and substance use, increased services and activities, advertising in commercial LGBT venues and social media, and reinvigorating community cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leavers Festivals have become an institution for Australian youth to celebrate the completion of secondary school. Reported hazardous consumption of alcohol by leavers has focused concern on risk-taking behaviour. In response to this, campaigns such as "Don't Drink and Drown" have targeted youth to reduce alcohol consumption during aquatic activities. This research investigated intended and actual alcohol consumption, particularly during aquatic activities at a Leavers Festival located in the coastal town of Dunsborough, southern Western Australia.Method: In November 2016, 549 leavers aged 17 or 18 years completed a paper-based survey over a four-day period during the Festival.Results: Overall, 90% of leavers reported intending to drink during the Festival, with expected average daily consumption being seven to nine standard drinks; reported daily consumption was five to six standard drinks (P < 0.001). Of the 29% of leavers who consumed alcohol around water during Leavers, 47% had done so while swimming. About 91% were aware of the campaign "Don't Drink and Drown."Conclusion: Awareness of the "Don't Drink and Drown" campaign and knowledge of risks associated with alcohol consumption and swimming were relatively high. Intention and actual consumption of alcohol did not correlate, with daily consumption less than anticipated.So What: Leavers appear to have a reasonable level of awareness and knowledge of the risks associated with alcohol consumption and aquatic activities, which may reflect the impact of education campaigns. However, this knowledge is not always translated into nonrisky aquatic behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue addressed Smoking, risky drinking, overweight and obesity, and physical inactivity are health-risk factors (HRFs) that contribute significantly to morbidity worldwide. Several initiatives have been introduced over the past two decades to reduce these HRFs. This paper examines changes in the prevalence of HRFs in young women (aged 18-23 years) between 1996 and 2013, overall and within demographic groups. Methods Data from two cohorts of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, born in 1973-78 (n=14247) and 1989-95 (n=17012) were weighted to provide national estimates. Prevalence ratios were used to compare HRFs in 2013 relative to 1996. Results In 1996, 32% were current smokers, 38% were risky drinkers, 22% were overweight or obese and 7% were physically inactive. In 2013, corresponding estimates were 19%, 35%, 33% and 6%. Between 1996 and 2013, overall smoking prevalence decreased, but remained over 43% among least educated women. Overweight and obesity increased in all demographic groups. Conclusions The findings suggest that only smoking, which has been the subject of changes in taxation, legislation and regulation, declined significantly, in all except the least educated women. In contrast, the prevalence of overweight and obesity, which has largely been addressed through awareness campaigns and voluntary actions by the food industry, increased markedly in all demographic sub-groups. So what? The findings show that comprehensive health promotion interventions, such as those for tobacco control, are successful (but may still be ineffective among less educated women). In contrast the measures to control population weight gain among young women have been futile so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth alcohol consumption has been steadily declining in Australia, as in other countries; fewer young people are drinking and the age of initiation is increasing. However, young people, their parents and others in their communities continue to believe that adolescent (excessive) drinking is the norm. This perception, and the concurrent misperception that the majority of parents are happy to provide their underage children with alcohol, creates a perceived culture of acceptance of youth alcohol consumption. Young people believe that it is accepted, and even expected, that they will drink; and parents perceive that not providing their adolescent children with alcohol will lead to social exclusion. There is evidence that shifting social norms can have an immediate and lasting effect adolescents’ (and adults’) alcohol related attitudes and behaviors. This paper reports on a novel, community based social marketing intervention designed to correct misperceptions of alcohol related social norms in an Australian community. The project utilized a social marketing approach, informed by the full complement of Andreasen’s social marketing benchmarking criteria, and concurrently targeted adolescents, parents of adolescents and the broader community. Using extensive formative research and multiple evaluation techniques, the study demonstrates that shifts in community social norms are possible and suggests that this approach could be used more widely to support the positive trends in youth alcohol consumption and parental supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To explore the long‐term impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on nurse alcohol consumption. Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused immense disruption to healthcare services worldwide, and nurses have not been immune, experiencing burnout, declining mental health and ultimately, attrition from the profession. Increases in alcohol consumption have been reported across subsections of society, including those with pre‐existing mental ill health and experiencing high stress, and exploring this phenomenon in nurses is essential for workforce well‐being and sustainability. Design: Qualitative descriptive study design. Methods: Secondary analysis of individual, semi‐structured interviews with nurses (N = 42) from diverse settings across Australia, including community, primary and hospital settings, conducted in July and August 2021. Data were analysed using structural coding and reported in accordance with the CORE‐Q guidelines. Findings Two key themes were found after analysis of the data: (1) factors influencing alcohol consumption (subthemes: workplace factors and external factors), and (2) the pandemic's influence on alcohol consumption (subthemes: increased consumption, moderation of consumption and alcohol as a reward). Conclusions: Several participants described increased alcohol consumption because of the COVID‐19 pandemic, particularly due to the stress of working in an environment where resources were scarce. Workplace factors such as overtime, missed breaks and heightened workload were all described as driving stress, and in turn increased alcohol consumption. Relevance to clinical practice: Increased alcohol consumption has been associated with burnout, absenteeism and intention to leave. The nursing profession is currently undergoing significant continuing stress providing care and management to patients with the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus, and increased alcohol consumption is a significant threat to personal and workforce well‐being, workforce sustainability and quality nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Alcohol consumption is an avoidable risk factor for morbidity and mortality. Studies have examined relative risks and outcomes of alcohol-related harms in Australia at discrete times, limiting the ability to examine changes across time. This paper examined alcohol consumption and its contribution to deaths, illness and injury at two time-points, 2001 and 2010. Design Alcohol consumption was modelled based on the 2001 and 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, upshifted to reflect alcohol sales data. Setting All data reported are from Australian sources. Measurements Based on relative risk estimates obtained from meta-analysis, alcohol-attributable fractions were estimated for 42 disease and injury categories in 2001 and 2010 separately for conditions that were not 100% alcohol-attributable. Deaths and hospital separations attributable to alcohol were calculated in 2001 and 2010. Findings There was a relatively stable per capita consumption of alcohol across time, with males reporting higher levels of consumption compared with females. While there were increases in the number of abstainers from alcohol across time, the proportion of heavy alcohol consumers also increased. This corresponded with an observed increase in alcohol-attributable burden. For example, alcohol-attributable deaths increased from 4957 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2867-8770] to 5610 (95% CI = 3398-9408) during the study period. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that there has been an increase in alcohol-attributable harms between 2001 and 2010 in Australia without a corresponding increase in per capita consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Alcohol related violence is a troubling backdrop to the social lives and relationships of many young people in post-industrial societies. The development of the night-time economy where young people are encouraged to drink heavily in entertainment precincts has increased the risk of violence. Methods: This paper reports on 60 individual structured in-depth interviews about the drinking biographies of young people (aged 20–24) living in Victoria, Australia. Twenty-six males and 34 females participated in the research. The participants discussed their experiences with alcohol over their life course to date. The material on alcohol related violence is analysed in this paper. Results: Just over half of the participants (33/60) recounted negative experiences with alcohol related violence. The findings demonstrate the continuing gendered nature of experiences of perpetration and victimization. Participants reported that aggression and violence perpetrated by some men was fuelled by alcohol consumption and required ongoing management. Experiences of violence were also spatialized. Men were more likely to report managing and avoiding violence in particular public settings whilst more women than men discussed managing violence in domestic settings. Conclusion: The central argument of this paper is that incidents of alcohol related violence and reactions to it are specific gender performances that occur in specific socio-cultural contexts. In contrast to research which has found some young people enjoy the adventure and excitement of alcohol related violence the mainstream participants in this study saw violence as a negative force to be managed and preferably avoided. Understanding violence as a dynamic gender performance complicates the development of policy measures designed to minimize harm but also offers a more holistic approach to developing effective policy in this domain. There is a need for greater acknowledgement that alcohol related violence in public venues and in families is primarily about particular performances of masculinity and this is where policy should be targeted in addition to venue based interventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: This study evaluated the impact of a multi‐faceted, harm minimisation program addressing youth alcohol change and risky drinking behaviours in rural Australia. The role and influence of a multi‐tiered community approach to changing alcohol cultures is examined. Setting: An alcohol culture change project for young people (12–18 years) was implemented in rural Victoria. It was informed by the Alcohol Cultures Framework, comprising community‐wide events and youth‐focused activities, co‐designed with young people. The approach aimed at maximising engagement and reducing alcohol‐related harm by targeting the shared activities and drinking practices of young people, parents and the community. Participants: Participants (n = 446) provided feedback specific to three key program activities for promoting alcohol change. Design: Mixed methods: Feedback sheets were collected, and interviews and focus groups were conducted with program participants. Results: Participants indicated that the program had informed their understanding of the way people in their region drink, and the social norms and practices around alcohol that encourage risky drinking. It influenced their short‐ and medium‐term reactions, learnings and activities relating to alcohol consumption. The impact of the program was greatest in adults than young people although reflective learning and some behaviour change were evident across all age groups and community clusters. Conclusion: Community‐wide health promotion events offer participants a deeper understanding of the ways in which dominant alcohol cultures inform the practices and activities of young people within a broader community context. Ensuring health promotion programs within a whole‐of‐community approach are established longer term, is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID‐19 pandemic introduced a unique concern regarding the potential for pandemic‐related increases in alcohol use. However, most studies which have measured pandemic‐related changes to date utilise self‐attribution measures of changes in alcohol use using cross‐sectional designs, which rely on accurate self‐attributions for validity. There has been minimal investigation of correspondence of self‐attributed and longitudinally measured changes in alcohol use during the pandemic. The current study seeks to examine this correspondence. Methods: A total of 856 participants originally recruited from Australian secondary schools completed follow‐up surveys of an ongoing study at two timepoints (2018–2019, mean age 18.6 and 2020–2021, mean age 19.9; 65.3% female). Alcohol use was measured as any drinking (1+ drinks) and binge drinking (5+ drinks) frequency in the past 6 months. The correspondence and relationship between 'longitudinal change' measured from the first to the second timepoint and 'self‐attributed change' measured at the second timepoint were examined. Results: For both any drinking and binge drinking frequency, moderate correspondence was observed between self‐attributed and longitudinal change in drinking (37.1% and 39.3%). Most participants with longitudinal increases in any drinking or binge drinking frequency failed to correctly self‐attribute this increase. Discussion and Conclusions: The findings suggest that self‐attributed increases do not correspond well with longitudinally measured increases in pandemic‐related drinking and may underestimate increases measured longitudinally. Method of measurement needs to be taken into account if data are to be used to identify sub‐groups at risk of alcohol use increases and facilitate appropriate direction of public health efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Widespread commercial promotion of alcohol products in Australia undermines the abstinence message for young people. This study aims to document the frequency of adolescents' exposure to alcohol advertising and examine associations with drinking behaviours. Methods: Students aged 12–17 years (n = 3618) participating in a cross‐sectional survey self‐reported their exposure to alcohol advertising via eight sources. Students also indicated whether they had never consumed alcohol, consumed at least a few sips of alcohol in their lifetime but none in the past month ('irregular drinkers') or consumed more than 10 drinks in their lifetime including at least one drink in the past month ('drinkers'). Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined associations between both single‐channel and cumulative exposure to alcohol advertising and drinking status, controlling for sex, age and education sector. Results: Television (61%), the internet (56%) and at sporting events (50%) were the most common channels through which students reported seeing alcohol advertising. Weekly exposure via each of the eight assessed channels was associated with being a drinker (vs. a non‐drinker or an irregular drinker, respectively), whereas only weekly exposure via television and sporting events was associated with being an irregular drinker (vs. a non‐drinker). As students' level of cumulative exposure to alcohol advertising increased, so too did their likelihood of being a drinker. Discussion and Conclusions: Alcohol advertising exposure is positively associated with drinking among Australian adolescents. Tighter restrictions on alcohol advertising across all media in Australia may reduce adolescent exposure and help de‐normalise alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Alcohol consumption changes markedly over the life course, with important implications for health and social development. Assessment of these patterns often relies on cross‐sectional data, which cannot fully capture how individuals' drinking changes as they age. This study used data from 18 waves of a general population panel survey to measure drinking trajectories over the life course in Australia. Design and Setting: Longitudinal survey data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey between 2001 and 2018. Participants: A total of 20 593 individuals ages 15 or above in two samples assessing quantity‐frequency (n = 20 569, 52.0% female) and risky single occasion drinking (RSOD), respectively, (n = 17 340, 52.5% female), interviewed as part of HILDA. Measurements Usual quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion; frequency of drinking occasions per week; average daily consumption, calculated by combining reported usual quantity and frequency; and average reported frequency of RSOD per week. Findings Multilevel, mixed effects models run with fractional polynomial terms found similar male and female alcohol consumption trajectories for quantity‐frequency and RSOD measures. Usual quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion (5.4 drinks for men, 3.8 for women) and RSOD frequency (0.56 occasions/week for men, 0.38 for women) peaked in young adulthood, whereas frequency of drinking occasions (2.5 occasions/week for men, 1.7 for women) peaked in middle age. Middle‐age drinkers had the highest average daily consumption of alcohol (1.4 drinks/day for 54‐year‐old men, 0.6 drinks for 57‐year‐old women) and engaged in RSOD slightly less than young adults. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption in Australia appears to vary substantially over the life course, with usual quantity per drinking occasion and frequency of risky single occasion drinking peaking during early adulthood and average daily consumption and frequency of consumption peaking in middle age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: There is significant debate about whether or not changes in per‐capita alcohol consumption occur collectively across the entire distribution of drinking. This study used data from a decade of declining drinking in Australia to test the collectivity of drinking trends. Design Repeated cross‐sectional surveys (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019), analysed with quantile regression techniques assessing trends in drinking for 20 quantile groups. Setting: Australia. Participants: A general population sample (total n = 85 891; males = 39 182, females = 46 709) aged 14 years and over. Measurements Past‐year volume of alcohol consumed was measured using standard graduated frequency survey questions. Models were stratified by sex and age group. Findings Throughout the whole population, alcohol consumption had declined in all percentile groups, with the largest proportional declines evident for light and moderate drinkers [e.g. drinkers in the 25th percentile declined by 32.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = ‐41.6, ‐22.3% per wave]. Broadly collective declines were also found for younger men and women with significant declines in every percentile group, but older groups showed some evidence of polarization. For example, women aged 45–64 years significantly increased their consumption (2.9% per wave, 95% CI = 0.3–5.5%), while consumption for those in the 25th percentile fell significantly (‐16.7%, 95% CI = –27.6, ‐4.2%). Conclusions: The declines in Australian drinking since 2010 have included important deviations from the collectivity predicted by Skog's influential theory of collectivity of drinking, with markedly different patterns evident among different demographic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ('Indigenous') Australians experience a greater burden of disease from alcohol consumption than non-Indigenous peoples. Brief interventions can help people reduce their consumption, but people drinking at risky levels must first be detected. Valid screening tools (e.g., AUDIT-C) can help clinicians identify at-risk individuals, but clinicians also make unstructured assessments. We aimed to determine how frequently clinicians make unstructured risk assessments and use AUDIT-C with Indigenous Australian clients. We also aimed to determine the accuracy of unstructured drinking risk assessments relative to AUDIT-C screening. Finally, we aimed to explore whether client demographics influence unstructured drinking risk assessments. Methods: We performed cross-sectional analysis of a large clinical dataset provided by 22 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in Australia. We examined instances where clients were screened with unstructured assessments and with AUDIT-C within the same two-monthly period. This aggregated data included 9884 observations. We compared the accuracy of unstructured risk assessments against AUDIT-C using multi-level sensitivity and specificity analysis. We used multi-level logistic regression to identify demographic factors that predict risk status in unstructured assessments while controlling for AUDIT-C score. Results: The primary variables were AUDIT-C score and unstructured drinking risk assessment; demographic covariates were client age and gender, and service remoteness. Clinicians made unstructured drinking risk assessments more frequently than they used AUDIT-C (17.11% and 10.85% of clinical sessions respectively). Where both measures were recorded within the same two-month period, AUDIT-C classified more clients as at risk from alcohol consumption than unstructured assessments. When using unstructured assessments, clinicians only identified approximately one third of clients drinking at risky levels based on their AUDIT-C score (sensitivity = 33.59% [95% CI 22.03, 47.52], specificity = 99.35% [95% CI 98.74, 99.67]). Controlling for AUDIT-C results and demographics (gender and service remoteness), clinicians using unstructured drinking risk assessments were more likely to classify older clients as being at risk from alcohol consumption than younger clients. Conclusions: Evidence-based screening tools like AUDIT-C can help clinicians ensure that Indigenous Australian clients (and their families and communities) who are at risk from alcohol consumption are better detected and supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the effects of social distancing and social isolation policies triggered by COVID‐19 on alcohol consumption using wastewater analysis in Adelaide, South Australia. Design Longitudinal quantitative analysis of influent wastewater data for alcohol concentration. Setting: Adelaide, South Australia. Participants: Wastewater catchment area representative of 1.1 million inhabitants. Measurements Twenty‐four hour composite influent wastewater samples were collected from four wastewater treatment plants in Adelaide, South Australia for 7 consecutive days (Wednesday–Tuesday) every 2 months from April 2016–April 2020. The alcohol metabolite ethyl sulfate was measured in samples using chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Data were population‐weighted adjusted with consumption expressed as standard drinks/day/1000 people. Weekly consumption and weekend to mid‐week consumption ratios were analysed to identify changes in weekday alcohol use pattern. Findings Estimated weekend alcohol consumption was significantly lower (698 standard drinks/day/1000 people) after self‐isolation measures were enforced in April 2020 compared with the preceding sampling period in February 2020 (1047 standard drinks/day/1000 people), P < 0.05. Weekend to midweek consumption ratio was 12% lower than the average ratio compared with all previous sampling periods. April 2020 recorded the lowest alcohol consumption relative to April in previous years, dating back to 2016. Conclusions: Wastewater analysis suggests that introduction of social distancing and isolation policies triggered by COVID‐19 in Adelaide, South Australia, was associated with a decrease in population‐level weekend alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Alcohol consumption and harms among older people are increasing. We examined different demographic characteristics and drinking patterns among an older population. Methods: Secondary analyses of nationally representative Australian data; subjects aged 50+ years (N = 10,856). Two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify demographic groups and alcohol consumption behaviours. Results: Three groups were identified: Group 1 (older, unmarried, and lived alone): >65 years, moderate drinkers, poorest health, psychological distress, social disadvantage, smokers, illicit drug users, and more frequent previous alcohol treatment. Group 3 (older married): >65 years, good health, low psychological distress, less likely to drink at risky levels, and one in five drank daily. Group 2 (younger married): 50--64 years, mostly employed, highest proportion of risky drinkers and of 5+ standard drinks per session, and liberal drinking attitudes with most concern from others about their drinking. Discussion: These demographic typologies can inform targeted prevention efforts for an estimated 1.3 million adults older than 50 years drinking at risky levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive alcohol consumption results in a broad range of health problems and other social issues, such as violence, social disorder and family breakdown. As such, alcohol consumption is considered as a critical social policy issue in Australia. In this study, we have used ordered logit models to estimate the probability of an Indigenous person consuming alcohol and to assess the impact of alcohol consumption on self‐perceived life satisfaction. A heteroscedasticity‐corrected ordered logit model is used to identify the gender difference in such effects. For this purpose, we use the latest National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) 2014/2015 data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The estimation results reveal that age, gender, employment status, income and the experience of unfair treatments significantly affect Indigenous people's (level of) alcohol consumption. The results also reveal that any level of alcohol consumption is linked with reduced overall life satisfaction, which is another reason why prevention of alcohol misuse should be a priority. A significant gender differences in the medium‐risk‐level alcohol consumption were also observed. These findings could be used as an alcohol prevention message in developing and implementing alcohol prevention strategies and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore how food or substance consumption (e.g., experiencing hunger, or having consumed alcohol or recreational drugs) could shape consumer impulsive spending on sports betting products. Based on a large online sample of Australian sports bettors, we found that participants with higher hunger level, or having consumed more alcohol or recreational drugs, tended to have increased impulsive bet size. These impulsiveness effects had both direct and indirect effect components. The significant direct effects confirmed that positive relationships directly existed between hunger, alcohol consumption, or recreational drug consumption and impulsive bet size, even when all potential mediators and covariates were statistically controlled. Moreover, results regarding specific indirect effects demonstrated that hunger, alcohol consumption, or recreational drug consumption was also indirectly linked with impulsive bet size, via their relationships with both promotional and financial influences, rather than social influences. Furthermore, participants' Problem Gambling Severity Index score was positively associated with their impulsive bet size. These findings support and complement the literature on impulsivity as well as the research on strategies for staying in control of gambling, and have implications for consumers, regulators, and treatment/help providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Alcohol consumption among young Australians has declined markedly since the early 2000s. As yet, there has been no data on how this decline has been spread across different beverages and instead high-level survey data with significant potential for recall and other bias has been used. Trends in beverage choice among young people following an increase in the 'alcopops' tax have also not received much attention.Design and Methods: Data on 'yesterday' drinking occasions were obtained from five waves (2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016) of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. A total of 23 536 respondents aged 14-29 years were included in this study. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to explore trends in alcohol consumption and changes in beverage preferences.Results: Youth drinking declined by 45% across the study period, with declines of 66% in premix, 48% in spirits, 46% in beer and 33% in wine. Consumption of premix was significantly lower in 2013 and 2016 compared to 2007 amongst the overall sample, males, females, respondents aged 14-21 and 22-29 years, light and heavy drinkers. Significant reductions were also observed in the consumption of premix immediately following the tax (2010) for the younger age group, males and light drinkers.Discussion and Conclusions: Youth consumption of alcohol has declined during the study period with significant variation across beverage types. We found some evidence of a separate impact for the alcopops tax, although for some groups, declines in premix consumption occurred well after the implementation of the tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Australia has an ageing population. Given the concomitant increase in the numbers and proportion of risky drinkers among older adults, research examining contributory factors is a priority. The current study examined older adults' estimates of the NHMRC low-risk drinking guidelines, consumption patterns and associated harms and self-identification of drinking type.Design and Methods: Data from respondents aged 50+ years (N = 11 886) in the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey were subjected to secondary analyses. Estimates of low-risk drinking levels, perceived level of harm from current drinking, self-identification of drinking type and awareness of standard drinks and labelling were included. Data were examined for those aged 50-59 years and 60+.Results: Seventeen percent of older Australians drank at both long-term and short-term risk levels. Approximately 39% of males and 11% of females overestimated the long-term low-risk levels and 54% of males and 20% of females overestimated the short-term low-risk levels. Overestimation was highest among risky drinkers. Most older risky drinkers were aware of standard drinks and labelling; however, less than half perceived their drinking as harmful, instead identifying as social drinkers.Discussion and Conclusions: Although substantial gaps are evident in older respondents' estimates of low-risk drinking, additional public awareness campaigns are likely to be of limited use. Older peoples' engagement with the public health system presents 'windows of opportunity' to provide targeted, age-appropriate harm reduction strategies. Appropriate intervention and policy responses are required to direct resources to this emerging area of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Research has linked exposure to the drinking of one's partner or spouse and changes in alcohol-related behaviours. However, there is a dearth of studies which consider only cohabiting relationships. More couples are preferring to cohabit prior to and in place of marriage. As a result, studies focused on cohabiting couples may provide a more representative consideration of modern long-term relationships. The present study uses a representative, longitudinal sample with annual follow-up and aims to determine if cohabiting partner's drinking habits are influenced by their partner's consumption, as well as consider the role of intimacy as a key component of these influences compared to a relationship's label or legal status.Design and Methods: Data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey identified 1483 newly cohabiting, Australian heterosexual couples between 2001 and 2016. Individual alcohol consumption was analysed using a cross-lagged, three-wave actor-partner structural equation model.Results: A respondent's own drinking was a stable and significant predictor of future consumption, and a greater predictor of later drinking than their partner's. Female consumption generally exerted significant influence on their male partner's later consumption, while male drinking was non-significant for all but the first year following cohabitation. Overall, women generally had greater influence on their partner's drinking than men.Discussion and Conclusions: This study furthers our understanding of each partner's role in influencing consumption within intimate relationships. Cohabiting couples appear to have some similarities with married couples regarding partner influence and may better represent the typical contemporary long-term relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While drink driving continues to be significantly more common among male drivers, there is evidence from many countries that shows a growing trend of women engaging in this risky behaviour. The aims of the current study were threefold: (i) determine to what extent a sample of women drivers reported engaging in drink driving behaviour by expanding the construct into a range of definitions, (ii) determine if there were significant differences in self-reported engagement in drink driving behaviours in accordance with hazardous drinking behaviour, and (iii) identify which situational or personal factors would increase women drivers’ likelihood to engage in drink driving through presenting a range of scenarios. Method: Data were collected using an on-line, purpose-designed survey and promoted to reach women aged 17 years and older, living in Queensland, Australia. In addition to questions relating to demographic characteristics, participants completed items relating to engagement in seven drink driving related behaviours in the previous 12-month period, hazardous drinking as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and likelihood of driving when unsure if over the legal limit for licence type across a range of scenarios manipulating different situational factors. A total of 644 valid responses were received in the two-week period the study was advertised. Results: The results demonstrate women’s self-reported engagement in drink driving behaviour ranged from 12.6% (driving when they believed they were over the legal limit) to over 50.0% (driving when unsure if over the legal limit the morning after drinking alcohol) and was significantly more likely among those who reported hazardous levels of alcohol use. Circumstances in which women reported they would drive when unsure if over the legal BAC limit were when they were a few blocks from home, if they subjectively felt they were not too intoxicated, or if they needed their car to get somewhere the next morning. Conclusion: Examining drink driving behaviour by way of responses to nuanced definitions provided valuable insight into self-reported engagement in the behaviour and highlights the usefulness of multi-measure dependent variables in order to illuminate a more accurate acknowledgement into both the type (and extent) of drink driving behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This small study investigates how much alcohol women consume when they have a glass of wine. Hotels in an inner city suburb of Melbourne were visited and their most commonly used wine glass was measured. Three major glass distributors and the Australian Hotels Association were asked about the size of commonly used wine glasses. Eighty-six women measured and recorded the amount of alcohol they drank in a 2-week prospective beverage diary. This study shows that, on average, wine glasses used in licensed premises such as hotels are larger than a standard drink. When at home participants, on average, drank more than a standard drink when consuming wine, champagne, spirits or liqueurs, but they drank less than a standard drink when drinking beer, cider and fortified wine. Wine drinkers, who are often women, cannot rely solely on counting their glasses of wine to keep them below the recommended number of standard drinks when in social situations, such as at hotels and private dwellings. [Banwell C. How many standard drinks at there in a glass of wine? Drug Alcohol Rev 1999;18:99-101]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of colonization contributed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders becoming one of the most disadvantaged groups in Australia. The multiple social inequalities, and therefore the constant insecurities for many about low income, poor living conditions, unemployment, and discrimination, generate chronic stress in this population. In the Baby Teeth Talk Study, an oral-health randomized controlled trial, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) was administered to 367 pregnant Aboriginal women at baseline. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the PSS-14 in an Aboriginal population. The study analysed: (a) model fit; (b) dimensionality; (c) local dependence; (d) differential item functioning; (e) threshold ordering and item fit; (f) targeting; (g) reliability; and (h) criterion validity. The dimensionality analysis indicated a two-factor structure, with negatively and positively worded items clustering together and 21.7% (95% Agresti-Coull C.I. [17.8%, 26.2%]) statistically significant t-tests between the persons’ estimates. After the creation of composite items, the revised Perceived Distress (χ2 (21) = 11.74, p = 0.946) and Perceived Coping (χ2 (28) = 17.63, p = 0.935) subscales fitted the Rasch model. Reliability was modest (PersonSeparationIndexdistress = 0.72; PersonSeparationIndexcoping = 0.76). The latent correlation between the Perceived Distress and Perceived Coping subscales was r = 0.14. It is hypothesized that the social inequalities experienced by the Aboriginal population are so pronounced that even Aboriginal pregnant women that perceived themselves as coping well with life challenges ended up endorsing items regarding high levels of stress. The present research showed that a revised PSS-14 is a culturally valid and modestly reliable psychological instrument to measure stress in a population of pregnant Aboriginal women in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Recent studies have pointed to diverging trends between alcohol consumption and harm rates. One explanation for these trends is the normalization hypothesis, which suggests that declines in alcohol consumption will result in more risky behaviour by the remaining drinkers as consumption becomes a more deviant behaviour. We examine how the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky behaviour has changed in Australia over a fourteen-year period. Methods Risky behaviour and alcohol consumption were obtained from six waves (2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016) of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS). 115,115 respondents aged over 14 were included in this study. Poisson regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between risky behaviour and two measures of alcohol consumption (average volume per day and risky drinking occasions per month) over six NDSHS waves. Interaction terms between year and the drinking variables were included in each model to identify shifts in this relationship between consumption and harm. Results Respondents with greater alcohol consumption were more likely to report risky behaviour (IRR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.13–1.16). Risky behaviour generally declined over time however older participants reported more risky behaviour over time. Generally, the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky behaviour has remained stable, with some very minor upward shifts for young drinkers (aged 14–29; highest IRR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.04). Conclusions We found little support for the normalization hypothesis–risky behaviour tends to shift consistently along with drinking levels. Results suggest that recent reductions in alcohol consumption should lead to reductions in rates of harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Most drinking game (DG) research among university students has been conducted among USA college samples. The extent to which demographics and game type (e.g. team and sculling games) are linked to DG behaviours/consequences among non-USA students is not well understood. As such, the current study investigated characteristics of DG participation (and associated outcomes) among a sample of Australian university students.Methods: University students (N = 252; aged 18-24 years; 67% female) who had consumed alcohol in the prior year completed an online survey. Measures included demographics, DG behaviours (lifetime, frequency and consumption) and gaming-specific consequences.Results: Most of the students reported lifetime DG participation (85%). Among those who played a DG in the prior 6 months (69%), most had experienced a negative gaming-specific consequence. While team games were the most popular DG played, regression analysis demonstrated that participation in games which encouraged consumption (e.g. sculling) were associated with increased alcohol consumption during play. In addition to being older, playing DGs more frequently, and consuming more alcohol while playing, participation in both consumption and dice games (e.g. 7-11, doubles) predicted more negative gaming-specific consequences.Discussion and Conclusions: DG participation is common among Australian university students, as it is in other parts of the world. The importance of game type is clear, particularly the risk of consumption games. Findings could help inform interventions to reduce participation in consumption games and identify students who might be especially at-risk for experiencing negative DG consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facebook, the most widely used social media platform, has been adopted by public health organisations for health promotion and behaviour change campaigns and activities. However, limited information is available on the most effective and efficient use of Facebook for this purpose. This study sought to identify the features of Facebook posts that are associated with higher user engagement on Australian public health organisations’ Facebook pages. We selected 20 eligible pages through a systematic search and coded 360-days of posts for each page. Posts were coded by: post type (e.g., photo, text only etc.), communication technique employed (e.g. testimonial, informative etc.) and use of marketing elements (e.g., branding, use of mascots). A series of negative binomial regressions were used to assess associations between post characteristics and user engagement as measured by the number of likes, shares and comments. Our results showed that video posts attracted the greatest amount of user engagement, although an analysis of a subset of the data suggested this may be a reflection of the Facebook algorithm, which governs what is and is not shown in user newsfeeds and appear to preference videos over other post types. Posts that featured a positive emotional appeal or provided factual information attracted higher levels of user engagement, while conventional marketing elements, such as sponsorships and the use of persons of authority, generally discouraged user engagement, with the exception of posts that included a celebrity or sportsperson. Our results give insight into post content that maximises user engagement and begins to fill the knowledge gap on effective use of Facebook by public health organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Describe unintentional drowning deaths in rivers, creeks and streams (rivers) in Australia and identify risk factors to inform prevention. Design & Setting: This study is a cross-sectional, total population audit of all unintentional fatal drownings in Australian rivers between 1-July-2002 and 30-June-2012 using Australian coronial data. A modified Bonferroni test has been applied, deeming statistical significance p<0.03 and p<0.04 respectively. Results: Rivers (n = 770; 26.6%) were the leading location among the 2,892 people who died from unintentional fatal drowning. This is a rate of 0.37/100,000 people / annum. Within river drowning deaths common groups include; males (80.4%), adults (85.3%), adults who have consumed alcohol (25.5%), people who fell in (21.3%), people involved in non-aquatic transport incidents (18.2%) and locals (74.0%). Children were 1.75 times more likely than adults (p<0.04) to drown in rivers as a result of a fall and adults 1.50 times more likely to drown in rivers as a result of watercraft incidents when compared to children. When compared to males, females were 2.27 and 4.45 times respectively more likely to drown in rivers as a result of incidents involving non-aquatic transport (p<0.04) and being swept away by floodwaters (p<0.04). Males were 2.66 and 4.27 times respectively more likely to drown in rivers as a result of watercraft incidents (p<0.04) and as a result of jumping in (p<0.04) when compared to females. Conclusion(s): While rivers are the leading location for drowning in Australia, little is understood about the risks. This study has identified key groups (males, adults, locals) and activities. While males were more likely to drown, the risk profile for females differed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is commonly argued that many young people in Australia inhabit a culture of intoxication. There has been little research on how young people find resistances within this culture. In this article we document how young people above the legal drinking age negotiate the dominant cultural logic of drinking to intoxication and explore how they conceptualise options of not drinking. The analysis draws from 60 semi-structured, mixed-method interviews about alcohol use conducted in 2007–8 in Victoria, Australia. We document the strong social imperative for young people to drink to intoxication at social events. Our results suggest that choosing not to drink carries the risk of social exclusion. To manage these pressures young people adopt specific socially legitimate subject positions for not drinking. Understanding the limited social possibilities and modes of resistance to intoxication is important for understanding the apparent hegemony of the culture of intoxication in mainstream youth cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background The associations between population-level alcohol consumption and fatal injuries have been examined in a number of previous studies, but few have considered the external impacts of major policy interventions. This study aims to quantify the associations between per capita alcohol consumption and traffic and nontraffic injury mortality rates in Australia before and after major traffic safety initiatives (the introduction of compulsory seat belt legislation [CSBL] and random breath testing [RBT] in 1970s). Methods Using data from 1924 to 2006, gender- and age-specific traffic and nontraffic mortality rates (15 years and above) were analyzed in relation to per capita alcohol consumption using time series analysis. The external effects of policy interventions were measured by inserting a dummy variable in the time series models. Results Statistically significant associations between per capita alcohol consumption and both types of fatal injuries were found for both males and females. The results suggest that an increase in per capita alcohol consumption of 1 l was accompanied by an increase in traffic mortality of 3.4 among males and 0.5 among females per 100,000 inhabitants and an increase in nontraffic mortality of 3.0 among males and 0.9 among females. The associations between alcohol consumption and fatal injury rates varied across age groups. The introduction of CSBL and RBT was associated with significant reductions in traffic crash mortality in Australia, particularly for males and young people. Conclusions The magnitude and distribution of the preventive effects from the reduction in population drinking on fatal injuries vary across different gender and age groups, with the strongest preventive impacts on fatal injuries among people aged 15 to 29 and 70 years and above. The mechanisms behind these effects are unclear from this study, but are likely to be due to the strong association between per capita consumption and heavy drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims This study examines factors associated with alcohol-related attitudes and behaviours among 888 Australians aged 12 to 17 years. Although these influences have been examined in other countries, notably the USA, Australia's legal drinking age of 18 years is lower and adolescent drinking rates are substantially higher than in the USA. Design and Methods This is a survey of 888 adolescents aged 12-17; they were recruited via a variety of methods (including school based, interception in public places and online) to obtain a cross-section of participants across metropolitan, regional and rural New South Wales. Results Most respondents believed that people their age regularly consumed alcohol; and more than half believed that their siblings and peers would approve of them drinking. Predictors of frequent alcohol consumption included having a sibling or a friend who consumed alcohol; believing parents, friends and/or siblings approved of drinking; drinking behaviours of parents, friends and/or siblings; and having a higher disposable income. Discussion and Conclusions The results support previous findings from the USA. We find an even stronger effect of family and friends' drinking behaviours and attitudes in a country with a lower legal drinking age and high adult alcohol consumption rates.[Jones SC, Magee CA. The role of family, friends and peers in Australian adolescent's alcohol consumption. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:304-313] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims. In 2008, the Australian government introduced an 'alcopops tax' on spirit-based ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages to reduce alcohol consumption and particularly binge drinking by young people. Design and Methods. Data regarding sales of alcoholic beverages in Australia from 2004 to 2009 were used to examine the possible effects of the alcopops tax. In addition, population data were used to calculate and examine per capita consumption. Results. Various measures of consumption of wine-based RTDs, spirits, cider, wine and beer remained fairly stable or increased annually from 2004 to 2009. Consumption of spirit-based RTDs increased annually from 2004 to 2007, but then decreased in 2008 and 2009. Per capita alcohol consumption in terms of pure alcohol increased annually from 11.52 litres in 2004 to a peak of 11.79 litres in 2007, but then dropped to 11.55 litres and 11.41 litres in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Discussion and Conclusions. Consumption of spirit-based RTDs dropped and consumption of other alcoholic beverages increased following the introduction of the tax. The increased consumption of other alcoholic beverages could be interpreted as indicating that RTD drinkers switched to purchasing spirits or wine-based RTDs or cider. However, those increases could also be interpreted as a continuation of long-term trends rather than a 'substitution effect'. It is impossible to know how much of the changes were due to the tax, to the 'global financial crisis', to adaptive marketing by the alcohol industry, to the Government's national binge drinking strategy, to mass media coverage of these issues or to other factors.[Doran CM, Digiusto E. Using taxes to curb drinking: A report card on the Australian government's alcopops tax. Drug Alcohol Rev 2011;30:677-680] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Despite a significant amount of research on alcohol and homicide in Australia, as yet there has been no study of the association at the aggregate level to reveal where Australia fits in with respect to the cultural differences found in the international research of this association. Aims. To analyse the temporal association between population drinking and homicide in Australia and to put the results in an international comparative perspective. Method. Using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series analysis, overall and gender-specific homicide rates from 1950 to 2003 were analysed in relation to alcohol consumption overall as well as to different beverages. Findings. A one-litre increase in per capita consumption was followed by an 8% increase in overall and male homicide rates and a 6% increase in female homicide rates. The effect was mainly driven by beer consumption. In a comparative perspective, the importance of population drinking was similar to what has been found in Western Europe. Conclusions. Australia belongs to the group of countries where lowering population drinking is likely to be associated with lower homicide rates and reducing beer consumption seems to be the most efficient way to achieve this.[Ramstedt M. Population drinking and homicide in Australia: A time series analysis of the period 1950-2003. Drug Alcohol Rev 2011;30:466-472] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims. Different self-report methods tend to produce different estimates of alcohol consumption. The present study compares differences in rates and risk levels based on responses to a modified version of the Daily Drinking Questionnaire (m-DDQ) and quantity-frequency (QF) questions. Design and Methods. The sample comprised 2082 university students, 61% of whom were female and 39% male with a mean age of 23.5 years. An email containing an online link to a brief six-question survey was emailed to students enrolled in participating faculties at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Current drinkers completed m-DDQ and QF questions about alcohol consumption. Results. QF methods identified significantly lower estimates of consumption (Mean = 9.15, SD = 12.51) compared with m-DDQ (Mean = 13.06, SD = 14.07). Allocation to risk categories based on the Australian Alcohol Guidelines were conducted for both the m-DDQ and QF methods. Almost twice as many students were found to be drinking at levels considered risky using the m-DDQ method compared with QF. In addition, the relative rank order of participants varied significantly between the two methods. Discussion and Conclusions. The m-DDQ method identified higher rates of drinking and categorised almost twice as many individuals into risky categories of drinking compared with QF. Such variations have major implications for identification of risk groups in health promotion or prevention programs.[Utpala-Kumar R, Deane FP. Rates of alcohol consumption and risk status among Australian university students vary by assessment questions. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To (i) compare the Yesterday method with other methods of assessing alcohol use applied in the 2004 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) in terms of extent of under-reporting of actual consumption assessed from sales data; and (ii) illustrate applications of the Yesterday method as a means of variously measuring the size of an Australian ‘standard drink’, the extent of risky/high-risk alcohol use, unrecorded alcohol consumption and beverage-specific patterns of risk in the general population. Setting The homes of respondents who were eligible and willing to participate. Participants A total of 24 109 Australians aged 12 years and over. Design The 2004 NDSHS assessed drug use, experiences and attitudes using a ‘drop and collect’ self-completion questionnaire with random sampling and geographic (State and Territory) and demographic (age and gender) stratification. Measures Self-completion questionnaire using quantity–frequency (QF) and graduated-frequency (GF) methods plus two questions about consumption ‘yesterday’: one in standard drinks, another with empirically based estimates of drink size and strength. Results The Yesterday method yielded an estimate of 12.8 g as the amount of ethanol in a typical Australian standard drink (versus the official 10 g). Estimated coverage of the 2003–04 age 12+ years per-capita alcohol consumption in Australia (9.33 ml of ethanol) was 69.17% for GF and 64.63% for the QF when assuming a 12.8 g standard drink. Highest coverage of 80.71% was achieved by the detailed Yesterday method. The detailed Yesterday method found that 60.1% of Australian alcohol consumption was above low-risk guidelines; 81.5% for 12–17-year-olds, 84.8% for 18–24-year-olds and 88.8% for Indigenous respondents. Spirit-based drinks and regular strength beer were most likely to be drunk in this way, low- and mid-strength beer least likely. Conclusions Compared to more widely used methods, the Yesterday method minimizes under-reporting of overall consumption and provides unique data of public health significance. It also provides an empirical basis for taxing alcoholic beverages in accordance with their contributions to harm and can be used to complement individual-level measures such as QF and GF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A universal problem in genetic association studies is to distinguish associations due to genuine effects of the locus under investigation, or linkage disequilibrium with a nearby locus that has a genuine effect, from associations due to population stratification or other artifacts. Fulker et al. (1999) have suggested a test using unselected sib pairs to distinguish these two causes of association. The test is readily implemented within a standard maximum-likelihood framework using the Mx package. The approach is applied to data on ADH2 genotypes and a measure of alcohol consumption from an Australian DZ twin pair sample. Results indicate that the association of the ADH2 *2 allele with lower alcohol consumption cannot be explained by simple admixture and that there may be genuine allelic effects of the locus on alcohol consumption. Power calculations are provided to show that these results are plausible for the sample size in this study and consider the effects of genetic architecture and sample structure on required sample sizes for the Fulker et al. test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]