Ellena Rebbeck and Lance Barrie test out the breathalyser being used ...

The group will be surveying patrons of Illawarra pubs and clubs until...

Project to dish dirt on drinking habits

Don’t be surprised if you bump into researchers from the University’s Centre for Health Initiatives (CHI) next time you hit the Illawarra pub and club scene.

While others are kicking back to enjoy a few beers, the group will be hard at work conducting a study which could be used to help combat alcohol-related violence and health issues.

The team consisting of CHI Director Professor Sandra Jones, Research Manager Lance Barrie, Lead Assistant Ellena Rebbeck and a group of eleven trained research assistants will visit popular night spots until the end of March to survey patrons about their drinking habits.

Mr Barrie said the approach was chosen as pubs and clubs have a high focus for policing alcohol and other drug-related issues. He said the group had developed a good working relationship with venue operators in Wollongong to discuss these issues with patrons.

“We feel that capturing people entering and leaving these venues will give us a representative view of the issues being faced in relation to night time entertainment areas,” he said.

The project, titled Patron Offending and Intoxication in Night Time Entertainment Districts (POINTED), aims to investigate the practice of pre-drinking or ‘pre-loading’ as well as energy drink consumption and drug use. Its objective is to understand if these factors have any relation to alcohol related aggression in night time entertainment venues.

“We are collecting data using an iTouch and also have a breathalyser for the last part of the survey. So far, patrons have responded very positively towards this approach and the breathalyser has been a good draw card of the study,” Mr Barrie said.

“While we’re out, patrons have been approaching us and asking if they can do a breath test and then proceeding to complete a survey.”

The data collected from the UOW study may be used alongside findings from Geelong, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth by police, policy makers and venue operators for interventions targeting alcohol related aggression and harm.

Mr Barrie noted that all information gathered is confidential and is only being used for the purposes of the study.

By Jenna Bradwell.