Alcohol-related harms and street service care in entertainment districts

This study examines 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% received it for intoxication, 19.3% for injury, and 10.3% 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 a...
Source: Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice - Category: Criminology Source Type: research