| 1. |
- MacLean, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Affordances of home drinking in accounts from light and heavy drinkers
- 2022
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In: Social Science and Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-9536 .- 1873-5347. ; 296
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Home drinking contributes substantially to health harms associated with alcohol consumption. Drawing on practice theory and new materialism, we argue that drinking is a social practice that allows particular sets of effects, or affordances, when it takes place in a person's home. Qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone with 40 Australian adult home drinkers, of whom 20 drank at a level designated as low risk and 20 at a level which exposed them to a higher likelihood of harm. Our analyses identified four substantive affordances of home drinking practice. The first two concern transformations of home life. Home drinking allowed both celebration and smoothing of dissatisfaction with domestic relationships. Through producing subtly different affective states at home compared to in other locations, drinking practice rendered domestic settings home-like: as places of comfort and respite. The second two affordances of home drinking concern how home as a place acts in the co-constitution of drinking patterns. This entailed routinising alcohol consumption alongside other home-based practices and loosening constraints on intoxication. Importantly for our argument, each of these operated with greater intensity for participants who drank at a heavier level than for those who drank more moderately. For example, heavy drinkers expressed a greater imperative to alter relationships and affective states at home and emphasised how being at home produced opportunities for, and removed obstacles to, heavy drinking. We show that home drinking is patterned with other activities and entwined in domestic wellbeing and the emergence of home as a space of privacy, autonomy and relaxation for Australians in our study sample. Understanding home drinking as deeply embedded in the constitution of contemporary western domestic life helps to explain heavy alcohol consumption in these settings. It also supports the need for targeted public health responses such as restrictions on home delivery of alcohol.
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| 2. |
- MacLean, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Drinking alcohol at home feels different from drinking in public places : a qualitative study of midlife Australians
- 2024
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In: Health and Place. - 1353-8292 .- 1873-2054. ; 86, s. 103179-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper shows how drinking in one's own home affords different affective experiences to drinking in public settings such as bars, pubs and restaurants. A thematic analysis of interviews with 40 Australians aged 30-65 identified three main variations in alcohol-associated feelings, sensations and urges. Alcohol was used at home to decelerate, but in contrast, people were enlivened when drinking in public venues. Drinking in public generated a sense of vigilance and greater requirement to self-monitor than usually felt necessary at home. For some, drinking at home seemed more habitual; governed by urges rather than intentionality, than drinking outside it did. Policy and interventions that target drinking in the home should be prioritised, such as those focussed on off-premise pricing and availability.
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| 3. |
- MacLean, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Who or what do young adults hold responsible for men's drunken violence?
- 2020
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In: International journal of drug policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0955-3959 .- 1873-4758. ; 81
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Men are more likely than women to perpetrate serious violence when they have consumed alcohol, but alcohol does not affect all men in the same way. This paper considers young adults' attribution about agency (the capacity to act) in men's drunken violence.Methods: Interviews about alcohol use in night-time venues, streets or private parties were conducted with 60 young adults aged 18-24 in Melbourne, Australia, and analysed thematically. Participants included seven men who identified as having initiated violence when drunk.Results: Some interviewees stated that men chose to be violent, or that men's violence when they were drunk was purposeful and therefore involved some component of choice. However, much alcohol-related violence enacted by young men was understood (both by men who reported violence and by other young adults) as impelled by forces outside their control. These forces were: diffusely defined effects of drinking alcohol; proclivities of men and masculinity, and the interaction of alcohol and men's bodies to override capacity for judgement and produce an irresistible urge to fight. The latter was at times explained as caused by the mutually reinforcing actions of alcohol and testosterone, providing a particularly persuasive account of men's violence as biologically-determined.Conclusion: These categories encapsulate a set of discursive resources that contribute to the rationalisation, naturalisation and production of men's violence. Participants tended to regard alcohol, masculinities and testosterone as inciting violence predictably and consistently, suggesting that men themselves had relatively little agency over its occurrence. In contrast, research evidence indicates that these actors do not cause violence in any uniform way and that their effects are contingent on changing configurations of factors. Highlighting discrepancies between young adults' understandings of responsibility for men's drunken violence, and those expressed in research, presents additional opportunities for intervention.
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| 4. |
- MacLean, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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'You're repulsive' : Limits to acceptable drunken comportment for young adults
- 2018
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In: International journal on drug policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0955-3959 .- 1873-4758. ; 53, s. 106-112
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Researchers have described a 'culture of intoxication' among young people. Yet drunkenness remains a socially risky practice with potential to evoke emotions of irritation and even disgust. We consider intoxicated practices that young adults in Melbourne, Australia, described as distasteful, to identify contemporary cultural forces that constrain intoxication and limit how it is enacted.Method: Interviews were conducted with 60 participants in Melbourne, Australia, each with recent drinking experience. Participants were asked to provide accounts of moments when they regarded their own or others' drunken comportment as unsociable or unpleasant. Transcripts were analysed to identify recurrent themes.Results: Despite amusement when recounting drunken antics, almost everyone in the study identified some discomfort at their own or other's drunkenness. We describe four interacting domains where lines delineating acceptable comportment appear be drawn. The first concerns intoxicated practices. Unpleasant drunken comportment often entailed a sense that the drunk person had disturbed others through an overflow of the self extruding intimacy, sexuality, violence or bodily fluids. The second domain was gendering, with women vulnerable to being regarded as sexually inappropriate, and men as threatening. Third, the settings where intoxicated behaviour occurred influenced whether intoxicated people risked censure. Finally, the relationships between the drunk person and others, including their respective social positions and drinking patterns, shaped how they were perceived.Conclusion: The capacity of alcohol to render people more open to the world is both sought and reviled. It is important to recognise that there remain limits on acceptable drunken comportment, although these are complex and contingent. These limits are enforced via people's affective responses to drunkenness. This is form of alcohol harm reduction that occurs outside of public health intervention. Thus, cultures that constrain drinking should be supported wherever it is possible to do so without reinforcing stigmatising identities.
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| 5. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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Adult low-risk drinkers and abstainers are not the same
- 2020
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In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 20:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundAlcohol consumption, even at low-levels, can not be guaranteed as safe or risk free. Specifically, the 2009 Australian National Health and Medical Research Council drinking guidelines recommend that adults should not drink more than two standard drinks on any day on average, and no more than four drinks on a single occasion. Nearly 40% of Australians aged 12years and older drink alcohol but don't exceed these recommended limits, yet adult low-risk drinkers have been largely overlooked in Australian alcohol survey research, where they are usually grouped with abstainers. This paper examines the socio-demographic profile of low-risk drinking adults (18+ years old), compared to those who abstain.MethodsData from the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey were used. In the past 12months, 4796 Australians had not consumed alcohol and 8734 had consumed alcohol at low-risk levels, accounting for both average volume and episodic drinking (hereafter low-risk).ResultsMultivariate logistic regression results indicated that low-risk drinkers were more likely to be older, married, Australian-born, and reside in a less disadvantaged neighbourhood compared with abstainers. There was no significant difference by sex between low-risk drinkers and abstainers.ConclusionsThe socio-demographic profile of low-risk drinkers differed from that of abstainers. Combining low-risk drinkers and abstainers into a single group, which is often the practice in survey research, may mask important differences. The study may support improved targeting of health promotion initiatives that encourage low-risk drinkers not to increase consumption or, in view of increasing evidence that low-risk drinking is not risk free, to move towards abstinence.
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| 6. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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How do people drink alcohol at a low-risk level?
- 2023
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In: Health Sociology Review. - 1446-1242 .- 1839-3551. ; 32:3, s. 311-326
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reducing the risks associated with drinking is an ongoing public health goal. Approximately two-fifths of Australian adults consume alcohol within low-risk guidelines, yet little is known about their drinking patterns or practices. In this paper, we use social practice theory to consider low-risk drinking at home as a routinised social practice with material, meaning and competence dimensions. We analysed open-text survey responses from 252 Australian adults (30–65, 89% female) who were considered low-risk drinkers. A low-risk drinking occasion was typically closely linked to other practices such as eating dinner or connecting with family or friends. Drinking alcohol, even in small amounts, was associated with enjoyment. Being attuned to bodily sensations and applying some self-imposed rules were competencies that allowed low-risk drinkers to avoid intoxication. Low-risk drinking practices entail some elements that can inform health promotion, including encouraging efforts to limit drinking to times of the day (e.g. during meals) and to attend to bodily feelings of sufficiency. The study also shows how low-risk drinking is entangled with gendered and age-related norms about drinking, and facilitated by rarely being in ‘intoxigenic’ environments. These factors are imbricated with individual decisions in our respondents’ capacity to consume alcohol moderately.
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| 7. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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Strategies associated with low-risk drinking : a population-based study
- 2018
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In: Australian and New Zealand journal of public health. - : Elsevier BV. - 1326-0200 .- 1753-6405. ; 42:3, s. 315-320
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To examine the relative frequency of use of seven strategies to moderate drinking (SMD) among low-risk and risky drinkers.Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey was used. The analytical sample included 11,462 Australians aged 18-64 who had consumed alcohol in the previous year. Logistic regression was used.Results: Analyses indicated a curvilinear relationship between use of SMD and alcohol consumption. Across the seven SMD, constant use of a strategy, compared with never using a strategy, was associated with low-risk drinking. Never using a strategy, compared with using one rarely, was also associated with low-risk drinking. When used occasionally, strategies that implied less alcohol consumed per hour (e.g. refuse unwanted drinks) increased the likelihood of low-risk drinking, whereas less direct strategies (e.g. counting drinks) increased the likelihood of risky drinking.Conclusions: Adult Australians who drink at low levels use a range of strategies to moderate their alcohol consumption. Overall, consistent use of one or more SMD was associated with low-risk drinking patterns.Implications: Public health responses to risky drinking may be enhanced by promoting the consistent use of SMD as a way to reduce overall alcohol consumption.
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| 8. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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Subgroups of adults who drink alcohol at low-risk levels : Diverse drinking patterns and demography
- 2020
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In: Drug and Alcohol Review. - : Wiley. - 0959-5236 .- 1465-3362. ; 39:7, s. 975-983
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction. A significant minority of Australians drink within the 2009 national guidelines. Despite encouragement of low-risk drinking as opposed to consumption patterns associated with greater harm, little is known about the drinking patterns of this group. This paper identifies subgroups of low-risk drinkers and their distinguishable characteristics. Methods. Data were sourced from the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, specifically 8492 adults (18+) who consumed 1-730 Australian standard drinks (ASD; 10 g ethanol) in the past year, and never 5+ ASD on a single occasion. Cluster analysis enabled identification of subgroups from drinking variables. Drinking patterns, socio-demographic characteristics, drinking context and alcohol-related perceptions of subgroups were examined. Results. Three subgroups were identified.Special occasion drinkers(64.6%) drank low to moderate amounts very infrequently.Regular moderates(19.6%) andRegular sippers(15.8%) drank 5-6 days a week on average, with the average number of ASD per day 1.2 and 0.5, respectively.Special occasion drinkerstended to be younger than members of more regular drinking subgroups. Perceptions of regular alcohol use also differed betweenSpecial occasion drinkersand members of the other subgroups. Discussion. Alcohol consumption patterns among low-risk drinkers are not homogeneous. Younger drinkers who consume at low-risk levels are more likely to report infrequent consumption than moderate regular consumption. A better understanding of low-risk drinkers may help increase the prominence and acceptability of this type of drinking, challenge the normativity of heavier drinking norms and help target campaigns as new information emerges on health risks associated with low-level drinking.
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| 9. |
- Room, Robin, et al.
(author)
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Changing risky drinking practices in different types of social worlds : concepts and experiences
- 2022
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In: Drugs. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0968-7637 .- 1465-3370. ; 29:1, s. 32-42
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The 'social worlds' concept has been underutilized in alcohol research. This is surprising given that drinking is primarily a social activity, often a secondary part of a sociable occasion in a social world whose members come together around something they have in common, such as an occupation, a hobby, or an identity. Social worlds which include drinking in their practices often entail encouragements or pressures to drink more, though they may also try to impose some limits on drinking or related behavior. Heavy drinking social worlds may be a useful target for public health interventions aimed at supporting less harmful drinking practices, and this paper moves beyond a theoretical discussion of social worlds and their utility to suggest how the concept might be applied in practical terms. We discuss the various influences and actors that potentially impact on heavy drinking social worlds, and suggest a pragmatic typology of social worlds in terms of five features: activity-based, identification-based, settings-based, worldview-based and social position-based. Most social worlds will be characterized by more than one feature, although it is likely that one will predominate in a given social world. Examples are discussed of changes in drinking norms in heavy-drinking social worlds primarily characterised in terms of each of the five features. Implications are considered for public health programming to reduce risky drinking in such social worlds.
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| 10. |
- Smit, Koen, et al.
(author)
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Associations Between Heavy Episodic Drinking, Drinking While Gambling, and Risky Gambling
- 2023
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In: Journal of Gambling Studies. - 1050-5350 .- 1573-3602. ; :39, s. 1597-1610
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Understanding how patterns of drinking are associated with risky gambling in Australia is needed to inform an effective approach to minimise harm. Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire study reports on 2,704 subsampled participants who completed survey questions about their patterns of drinking. With logistic regressions, we examined whether frequency of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol use while gambling were associated with risky gambling while controlling for sociodemographic variables. Results: Occasional HED and monthly HED were associated with any gambling (versus no gambling), but frequent HED was not significantly associated with gambling. The opposite pattern was found when predicting risky gambling. Occasional HED (i.e. less than monthly) was not significantly associated, but a higher frequency of HED (at least weekly) was associated with a higher likelihood of risky gambling. Drinking alcohol while gambling was associated with risky gambling, over and above HED. The combination of HED and use of alcohol while gambling appeared to significantly increase the likelihood of risky gambling. Conclusions: The association of HED and alcohol use while gambling with risky gambling highlights the importance of preventing heavy alcohol use among gamblers. The links between these forms of drinking and risky gambling further suggests that individuals who engage in both activities are specifically prone to gambling harm. Policies should therefore discourage alcohol use while gambling for example by prohibiting serving alcohol at reduced prices or to gamblers who show signs of being affected by alcohol and informing individuals of the risks associated with alcohol use while gambling.
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