Aims: The aim of this feasibility study is to present a description of a new approach based on alcohol brief intervention strategies to intervene with at-risk drinkers in licensed premises.
Design: The data presented are from a convenience sample of tavern patrons.
Setting: The intervention called Operation Drinksafe was conducted on 75 occasions in 67 licensed premises in an Australian rural area.
Participants: There were 2761 voluntary participants who were provided with a personal risk assessment of their alcohol use.
Measurements: The main measurements were the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) combined with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reading.
Findings: The median AUDIT score was 11.0, with 53% scoring in the hazardous range and 25% in the harmful range. For binge drinking, almost two-thirds (62%) of males drank six or more drinks once a week or more compared to 29% of females. Median BAC was 0.03 mg/100 ml with 11% of males above 0.10. Regression analysis revealed that significant predictors of alcohol-related injury were being aged less than 30 years, forgetting the previous night, having had another person express concern about your drinking, and binge drinking weekly or more.
Conclusions: The program had high acceptance among licensees and their patrons. Patrons who are ready to change their at-risk drinking behaviour may benefit from this type of minimal intervention when presented in an interesting way in their drinking environments.