Claire Wilkinson | Latrobe University (original) (raw)

Papers by Claire Wilkinson

Fitzroy, Victoria: AER …, 2010

In this section a general introduction to economic costing of morbidity and the methods used to p... more In this section a general introduction to economic costing of morbidity and the methods used to produce the results in this chapter of the report have been included. Estimates of the cost of harm from others' drinking have then been divided into three sections relating to the prevalence of harm to children, harm from car crashes and harm from interpersonal violence associated with others' drinking. Prior to presentation of the economic findings in each of these sections, relevant morbidity costs are introduced. No attempt has been made to ...

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2012

In 2007 the National Health and Medical Research Council issued the draft of the revised Australi... more In 2007 the National Health and Medical Research Council issued the draft of the revised Australian alcohol guidelines. The document presented guidelines explicitly in terms of risk. This paper seeks to explore the public response to this document by analysing the submissions received during the 60 day period for public feedback. One-hundred and three submissions were reviewed. Considerations of what interests were reflected in submissions and how interest groups responded to the framing of risk were examined. Submissions were received from individuals and organisations. Analysis revealed a range of views and rhetoric. Temperance interests wanted the guidelines' thresholds to be lower; the industry critiqued the evidence base as flawed and also argued that the public was unlikely to listen to low-risk drinking messages; submissions from public health groups and government wanted a greater rationale for the guidelines and were also concerned with the dropping of a second differentiation of a higher-risk level; personal testimonies supported the risk assessments based on personal experiences; and those working in clinical service provision expressed concern about the reception of the guidelines among client groups. The diversity of views expressed seems to have had little effect in the revision of the guidelines. Disseminating the low-risk drinking guidelines message poses many challenges.

Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 2013

ABSTRACT As in many other societies, Australian states have alcohol licensing laws, which specify... more ABSTRACT As in many other societies, Australian states have alcohol licensing laws, which specify who can sell alcoholic beverages and under what conditions. Police commonly have the authority to enforce licensing provisions, but are often distracted from this task by more pressing responsibilities. The state of Victoria, Australia, moved in July 2009 to establish a Compliance Directorate (the Directorate), comprising 40 civilian inspectors, to assist and support the work of the Victoria Police in enforcing requirements pertaining to liquor licensees. This article explores early indicators of the impact of this body on licensee compliance in Victoria. The Directorate was presented by the government as a part of an effort to influence cultures that promote harmful consumption of alcohol. Analysis of data and interviews with policy and enforcement staff and licensees indicate that the Directorate has substantially improved enforcement of administrative provisions of licence conditions. In a climate where previously very little liquor licence enforcement existed, the Directorate has been required to negotiate conflicting views on appropriate approaches to regulation, potentially undermining its capacity to pose a real threat of enforcement action for licensees who are in breach of their obligations. Although civilian inspectors promote a better regulated alcohol industry, evidence indicates that provisions prohibiting sales to minors and the intoxicated (with greatest potential to impact on alcohol-associated harm) remain insufficiently enforced.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2010

The paper considers conceptual and methodological issues in studying the scope of alcohol's harm ... more The paper considers conceptual and methodological issues in studying the scope of alcohol's harm to others. Reasons are suggested for the relative neglect of the topic. The approaches in two relevant research traditions are considered: population surveys on alcohol problems, and economic cost of alcohol studies. Ways of conceptualizing and measuring aspects of the drinker's effects on others are considered, in terms of main types of relationship with the other, and in terms of major societal response institutions. The main types of data tend to measure different levels of severity, with population survey data dominated by less severe problems, and response institution data by more severe problems; so both are needed for a three-dimensional view. Research questions for the field and its policy significance are noted.

Addiction, 2011

This study aims to document the adverse effects of drinkers in Australia on people other than the... more This study aims to document the adverse effects of drinkers in Australia on people other than the drinker. Cross-sectional survey. In a national survey of Australia, respondents described the harmful effects they experienced from drinkers in their households, family and friendship networks, as well as work-place and community settings. A randomly selected sample of 2,649 adult Australians. Problems experienced because of others' drinking were ascertained via computer-assisted telephone interviews. Respondent and drinker socio-demographic and drinking pattern data were recorded. A total of 70% of respondents were affected by strangers' drinking and experienced nuisance, fear or abuse, and 30% reported that the drinking of someone close to them had negative effects, although only 11% were affected by such a person 'a lot'. Women were more affected by someone they knew in the household or family, while men were more affected by strangers, friends and co-workers. Young adults were consistently the most negatively affected across the majority of types of harm. Substantial proportions of Australians are affected by other people's drinking, including that of their families, friends, co-workers and strangers. These harms range in magnitude from noise and fear to physical abuse, sexual coercion and social isolation.

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this pa... more In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this paper discusses the international experience with and evidence of effects of alcohol warning labels. Approach. The report describes international experience with providing information and warnings concerning the promotion or sale of alcoholic beverages, and considers the evidence on the effects of such information and warnings.The experience with and evaluations of the effects of tobacco warning labels are also considered. Key Findings. The most methodologically sound evaluations of alcohol warning labels are based on the US experience. Although these evaluations find little evidence that the introduction of the warning label in the USA had an impact on drinking behaviour, there is evidence that they led to an increase in awareness of the message they contained. In contrast, evaluations of tobacco warning labels find clear evidence of effects on behaviour. Implications. There is a need and opportunity for a rigorous evaluation of the impacts of introducing alcohol warning labels to add to the published work on their effectiveness. The experience with tobacco labels might guide the way for more effective alcohol warning labels. Conclusion. Alcohol warning labels are an increasingly popular alcohol policy initiative. It is clear that warning labels can be ineffective, but the tobacco experience suggests that effective warning labels are possible. Any introduction of alcohol warning labels should be evaluated in terms of effects on attitudes and behaviour. [Wilkinson C, Room R. Warnings on alcohol containers and advertisements: International experience and evidence on effects. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:426-435]

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explor... more Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored. The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour. Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used the 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004 NDSHS. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less. The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to expl... more OBJECTIVE: To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to explore the effects on mental health of heavy and problematic drinkers both within and outside spousal relationships. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A secondary analysis of data obtained as part of the Alcohol's Harm to Others survey from 2622 randomly sampled Australian adults interviewed by telephone between October and December 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported anxiety or depression and satisfaction with mental wellbeing; the presence of heavy and problematic drinkers in respondents' lives. RESULTS: Identification of at least one heavy drinker in the respondents' social network of friends, family and co-workers was significantly negatively associated with self-reported mental wellbeing and anxiety or depression. If the heavy drinker was identified by the respondent as someone whose drinking had had a negative impact on their life in the past year, the adverse effec...

The Medical journal of Australia, 2011

To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to explore the eff... more To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to explore the effects on mental health of heavy and problematic drinkers both within and outside spousal relationships. A secondary analysis of data obtained as part of the Alcohol's Harm to Others survey from 2622 randomly sampled Australian adults interviewed by telephone between October and December 2008. Self-reported anxiety or depression and satisfaction with mental wellbeing; the presence of heavy and problematic drinkers in respondents' lives. Identification of at least one heavy drinker in the respondents' social network of friends, family and co-workers was significantly negatively associated with self-reported mental wellbeing and anxiety or depression. If the heavy drinker was identified by the respondent as someone whose drinking had had a negative impact on their life in the past year, the adverse effect on mental wellbeing and anxiety was much greater. Our findings support a ca...

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 2010

Although there is a well-established quantitative literature examining the impact of alcohol cons... more Although there is a well-established quantitative literature examining the impact of alcohol consumption on the drinker, there has been much less examination of how someone's drinking affects other people. This study attempts to assess the degree to which relationships with heavy drinkers affect health and well-being. The study is based on a random telephone survey of 2,649 Australians (2,422 providing sufficient data for analysis) that asked respondents to identify people in their lives who were heavy drinkers or who sometimes drank a lot. In addition, information on respondents' well-being and health was collected using the Personal Wellbeing Index and the EuroQol Group 5-Dimension Self-Report Questionnaire score (EQ-5D) index, along with data on a range of other sociodemographic factors. Multivariate regression models were developed to determine whether living with heavy drinkers or knowing heavy drinkers outside the household were related to health and well-being once socioeconomic and demographic factors and the respondent's own drinking behavior were statistically controlled. The study finds negative effects on both health and well-being related to the number of heavy drinkers identified outside the respondent's household, whereas heavy drinkers within the household were negatively related to health but not well-being. The study suggests that other people's drinking can have substantial effects on health and well-being, providing impetus for policies that reduce heavy drinking in the population.

Journal of Gambling Studies, 2013

Problem gambling represents a significant public health problem, however, research on effective g... more Problem gambling represents a significant public health problem, however, research on effective gambling harm-minimisation measures lags behind other fields, including other addictive disorders. In recognition of the need for consistency between international jurisdictions and the importance of basing policy on empirical evidence, international conventions exist for policy on alcohol, tobacco, and illegal substances. This paper examines the evidence of best practice policies to provide recommendations for international guidelines for harm-minimisation policy for gambling, including specific consideration of the specific requirements for policies on Internet gambling. Evidence indicates that many of the public health policies implemented for addictive substances can be adapted to address gambling-related harms. Specifically, a minimum legal age of at least 18 for gambling participation, licensing of gambling venues and activities with responsible gambling and consumer protection strategies mandated, and brief interventions should be available for those at-risk for and experiencing gambling-related problems. However, there is mixed evidence on the effectiveness of limits on opening hours and gambling venue density and increased taxation to minimise harms. Given increases in trade globalisation and particularly the global nature of Internet gambling, it is recommended that jurisdictions take actions to harmonise gambling public health policies.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2010

Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 2013

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2012

There are a number of studies in recent years that have examined the relationship of alcohol outl... more There are a number of studies in recent years that have examined the relationship of alcohol outlets to the incidence of alcohol-related problems. Only a small number of these studies examine the types of alcohol-related problems which may be considered amenity problems, such as neighbourhood disturbance, litter and noise. This paper examines the association between the proximity of someone's home to alcohol outlets and their experience of public amenity problems. Data came from an Australian general population survey: the Alcohol's Harm to Others Survey (2008). Two thousand six hundred and forty-nine Australians aged 18 years and over were asked about their experiences of a number of amenity-type problems and the distance they lived to the nearest on- and off-premise alcohol outlet. Bivariate results showed that respondents living closer to on- and off-premise outlets reported more problems, with minor differences by distance to on- and off-premise outlet. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, controlling for possible confounding effects of the respondent and neighbourhood characteristics, living closer to on-premise outlets was independently associated with reporting being kept awake or disturbed at night and living closer to an off-premise outlet was independently associated with reporting property damage. A possible interpretation of the results is that respondents living close to on- and off-premise outlets experience more amenity problems than those living further away, but that these experiences are concentrated among demographic groups who live in these areas. Direction of influence cannot be inferred from these cross-sectional findings.

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this pa... more In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this paper discusses the international experience with and evidence of effects of alcohol warning labels. Approach. The report describes international experience with providing information and warnings concerning the promotion or sale of alcoholic beverages, and considers the evidence on the effects of such information and warnings.The experience with and evaluations of the effects of tobacco warning labels are also considered. Key Findings. The most methodologically sound evaluations of alcohol warning labels are based on the US experience. Although these evaluations find little evidence that the introduction of the warning label in the USA had an impact on drinking behaviour, there is evidence that they led to an increase in awareness of the message they contained. In contrast, evaluations of tobacco warning labels find clear evidence of effects on behaviour. Implications. There is a need and opportunity for a rigorous evaluation of the impacts of introducing alcohol warning labels to add to the published work on their effectiveness. The experience with tobacco labels might guide the way for more effective alcohol warning labels. Conclusion. Alcohol warning labels are an increasingly popular alcohol policy initiative. It is clear that warning labels can be ineffective, but the tobacco experience suggests that effective warning labels are possible. Any introduction of alcohol warning labels should be evaluated in terms of effects on attitudes and behaviour. [Wilkinson C, Room R. Warnings on alcohol containers and advertisements: International experience and evidence on effects. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:426-435]

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explor... more Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored. The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour. Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used the 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004 NDSHS. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less. The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time.

Alcohol and Alcoholism, 2013

Given the variety of relationships found between alcohol consumption and health using individual ... more Given the variety of relationships found between alcohol consumption and health using individual data (both negative and positive), the likely impact of changes in population-level alcohol consumption on health at the population level is not clear. This paper uses historical data from 1911 to 2006 to assess the relationship between changes in per-capita alcohol consumption on total male mortality in Australia. A longitudinal aggregate study using Australian per-capita alcohol consumption and mortality data from 1911 to 2006. Analysis is undertaken using autoregressive integrated moving average time-series methods. Per-capita pure alcohol consumption has a significant association with male all-cause mortality, with an increase (decrease) of 1 l per-capita per year associated with a 1.5% increase (decrease) in male mortality (controlling for female mortality and smoking rates). The association between per-capita consumption and mortality was significant for all age groups, with a particularly strong effect among 15-29 year olds. These results place Australia in the group of countries for which a positive association between per-capita alcohol consumption and total mortality can be demonstrated. Thus, despite the beneficial effects of alcohol consumption on health found in many studies, increases in consumption at the population level in Australia are associated with declines in population health. Thus, per-capita alcohol consumption in Australia is a significant contributor to rates of male mortality, particularly among young adults, suggesting an interaction between per-capita consumption and risky episodic drinking. The policies aiming to reduce population-level alcohol consumption and episodic risky drinking have the potential to substantially improve population-health outcomes in Australia, particularly among young men.

Fitzroy, Victoria: AER …, 2010

In this section a general introduction to economic costing of morbidity and the methods used to p... more In this section a general introduction to economic costing of morbidity and the methods used to produce the results in this chapter of the report have been included. Estimates of the cost of harm from others' drinking have then been divided into three sections relating to the prevalence of harm to children, harm from car crashes and harm from interpersonal violence associated with others' drinking. Prior to presentation of the economic findings in each of these sections, relevant morbidity costs are introduced. No attempt has been made to ...

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2012

In 2007 the National Health and Medical Research Council issued the draft of the revised Australi... more In 2007 the National Health and Medical Research Council issued the draft of the revised Australian alcohol guidelines. The document presented guidelines explicitly in terms of risk. This paper seeks to explore the public response to this document by analysing the submissions received during the 60 day period for public feedback. One-hundred and three submissions were reviewed. Considerations of what interests were reflected in submissions and how interest groups responded to the framing of risk were examined. Submissions were received from individuals and organisations. Analysis revealed a range of views and rhetoric. Temperance interests wanted the guidelines' thresholds to be lower; the industry critiqued the evidence base as flawed and also argued that the public was unlikely to listen to low-risk drinking messages; submissions from public health groups and government wanted a greater rationale for the guidelines and were also concerned with the dropping of a second differentiation of a higher-risk level; personal testimonies supported the risk assessments based on personal experiences; and those working in clinical service provision expressed concern about the reception of the guidelines among client groups. The diversity of views expressed seems to have had little effect in the revision of the guidelines. Disseminating the low-risk drinking guidelines message poses many challenges.

Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 2013

ABSTRACT As in many other societies, Australian states have alcohol licensing laws, which specify... more ABSTRACT As in many other societies, Australian states have alcohol licensing laws, which specify who can sell alcoholic beverages and under what conditions. Police commonly have the authority to enforce licensing provisions, but are often distracted from this task by more pressing responsibilities. The state of Victoria, Australia, moved in July 2009 to establish a Compliance Directorate (the Directorate), comprising 40 civilian inspectors, to assist and support the work of the Victoria Police in enforcing requirements pertaining to liquor licensees. This article explores early indicators of the impact of this body on licensee compliance in Victoria. The Directorate was presented by the government as a part of an effort to influence cultures that promote harmful consumption of alcohol. Analysis of data and interviews with policy and enforcement staff and licensees indicate that the Directorate has substantially improved enforcement of administrative provisions of licence conditions. In a climate where previously very little liquor licence enforcement existed, the Directorate has been required to negotiate conflicting views on appropriate approaches to regulation, potentially undermining its capacity to pose a real threat of enforcement action for licensees who are in breach of their obligations. Although civilian inspectors promote a better regulated alcohol industry, evidence indicates that provisions prohibiting sales to minors and the intoxicated (with greatest potential to impact on alcohol-associated harm) remain insufficiently enforced.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2010

The paper considers conceptual and methodological issues in studying the scope of alcohol's harm ... more The paper considers conceptual and methodological issues in studying the scope of alcohol's harm to others. Reasons are suggested for the relative neglect of the topic. The approaches in two relevant research traditions are considered: population surveys on alcohol problems, and economic cost of alcohol studies. Ways of conceptualizing and measuring aspects of the drinker's effects on others are considered, in terms of main types of relationship with the other, and in terms of major societal response institutions. The main types of data tend to measure different levels of severity, with population survey data dominated by less severe problems, and response institution data by more severe problems; so both are needed for a three-dimensional view. Research questions for the field and its policy significance are noted.

Addiction, 2011

This study aims to document the adverse effects of drinkers in Australia on people other than the... more This study aims to document the adverse effects of drinkers in Australia on people other than the drinker. Cross-sectional survey. In a national survey of Australia, respondents described the harmful effects they experienced from drinkers in their households, family and friendship networks, as well as work-place and community settings. A randomly selected sample of 2,649 adult Australians. Problems experienced because of others' drinking were ascertained via computer-assisted telephone interviews. Respondent and drinker socio-demographic and drinking pattern data were recorded. A total of 70% of respondents were affected by strangers' drinking and experienced nuisance, fear or abuse, and 30% reported that the drinking of someone close to them had negative effects, although only 11% were affected by such a person 'a lot'. Women were more affected by someone they knew in the household or family, while men were more affected by strangers, friends and co-workers. Young adults were consistently the most negatively affected across the majority of types of harm. Substantial proportions of Australians are affected by other people's drinking, including that of their families, friends, co-workers and strangers. These harms range in magnitude from noise and fear to physical abuse, sexual coercion and social isolation.

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this pa... more In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this paper discusses the international experience with and evidence of effects of alcohol warning labels. Approach. The report describes international experience with providing information and warnings concerning the promotion or sale of alcoholic beverages, and considers the evidence on the effects of such information and warnings.The experience with and evaluations of the effects of tobacco warning labels are also considered. Key Findings. The most methodologically sound evaluations of alcohol warning labels are based on the US experience. Although these evaluations find little evidence that the introduction of the warning label in the USA had an impact on drinking behaviour, there is evidence that they led to an increase in awareness of the message they contained. In contrast, evaluations of tobacco warning labels find clear evidence of effects on behaviour. Implications. There is a need and opportunity for a rigorous evaluation of the impacts of introducing alcohol warning labels to add to the published work on their effectiveness. The experience with tobacco labels might guide the way for more effective alcohol warning labels. Conclusion. Alcohol warning labels are an increasingly popular alcohol policy initiative. It is clear that warning labels can be ineffective, but the tobacco experience suggests that effective warning labels are possible. Any introduction of alcohol warning labels should be evaluated in terms of effects on attitudes and behaviour. [Wilkinson C, Room R. Warnings on alcohol containers and advertisements: International experience and evidence on effects. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:426-435]

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explor... more Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored. The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour. Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used the 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004 NDSHS. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less. The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to expl... more OBJECTIVE: To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to explore the effects on mental health of heavy and problematic drinkers both within and outside spousal relationships. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A secondary analysis of data obtained as part of the Alcohol's Harm to Others survey from 2622 randomly sampled Australian adults interviewed by telephone between October and December 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported anxiety or depression and satisfaction with mental wellbeing; the presence of heavy and problematic drinkers in respondents' lives. RESULTS: Identification of at least one heavy drinker in the respondents' social network of friends, family and co-workers was significantly negatively associated with self-reported mental wellbeing and anxiety or depression. If the heavy drinker was identified by the respondent as someone whose drinking had had a negative impact on their life in the past year, the adverse effec...

The Medical journal of Australia, 2011

To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to explore the eff... more To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to explore the effects on mental health of heavy and problematic drinkers both within and outside spousal relationships. A secondary analysis of data obtained as part of the Alcohol's Harm to Others survey from 2622 randomly sampled Australian adults interviewed by telephone between October and December 2008. Self-reported anxiety or depression and satisfaction with mental wellbeing; the presence of heavy and problematic drinkers in respondents' lives. Identification of at least one heavy drinker in the respondents' social network of friends, family and co-workers was significantly negatively associated with self-reported mental wellbeing and anxiety or depression. If the heavy drinker was identified by the respondent as someone whose drinking had had a negative impact on their life in the past year, the adverse effect on mental wellbeing and anxiety was much greater. Our findings support a ca...

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 2010

Although there is a well-established quantitative literature examining the impact of alcohol cons... more Although there is a well-established quantitative literature examining the impact of alcohol consumption on the drinker, there has been much less examination of how someone's drinking affects other people. This study attempts to assess the degree to which relationships with heavy drinkers affect health and well-being. The study is based on a random telephone survey of 2,649 Australians (2,422 providing sufficient data for analysis) that asked respondents to identify people in their lives who were heavy drinkers or who sometimes drank a lot. In addition, information on respondents' well-being and health was collected using the Personal Wellbeing Index and the EuroQol Group 5-Dimension Self-Report Questionnaire score (EQ-5D) index, along with data on a range of other sociodemographic factors. Multivariate regression models were developed to determine whether living with heavy drinkers or knowing heavy drinkers outside the household were related to health and well-being once socioeconomic and demographic factors and the respondent's own drinking behavior were statistically controlled. The study finds negative effects on both health and well-being related to the number of heavy drinkers identified outside the respondent's household, whereas heavy drinkers within the household were negatively related to health but not well-being. The study suggests that other people's drinking can have substantial effects on health and well-being, providing impetus for policies that reduce heavy drinking in the population.

Journal of Gambling Studies, 2013

Problem gambling represents a significant public health problem, however, research on effective g... more Problem gambling represents a significant public health problem, however, research on effective gambling harm-minimisation measures lags behind other fields, including other addictive disorders. In recognition of the need for consistency between international jurisdictions and the importance of basing policy on empirical evidence, international conventions exist for policy on alcohol, tobacco, and illegal substances. This paper examines the evidence of best practice policies to provide recommendations for international guidelines for harm-minimisation policy for gambling, including specific consideration of the specific requirements for policies on Internet gambling. Evidence indicates that many of the public health policies implemented for addictive substances can be adapted to address gambling-related harms. Specifically, a minimum legal age of at least 18 for gambling participation, licensing of gambling venues and activities with responsible gambling and consumer protection strategies mandated, and brief interventions should be available for those at-risk for and experiencing gambling-related problems. However, there is mixed evidence on the effectiveness of limits on opening hours and gambling venue density and increased taxation to minimise harms. Given increases in trade globalisation and particularly the global nature of Internet gambling, it is recommended that jurisdictions take actions to harmonise gambling public health policies.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2010

Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 2013

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2012

There are a number of studies in recent years that have examined the relationship of alcohol outl... more There are a number of studies in recent years that have examined the relationship of alcohol outlets to the incidence of alcohol-related problems. Only a small number of these studies examine the types of alcohol-related problems which may be considered amenity problems, such as neighbourhood disturbance, litter and noise. This paper examines the association between the proximity of someone's home to alcohol outlets and their experience of public amenity problems. Data came from an Australian general population survey: the Alcohol's Harm to Others Survey (2008). Two thousand six hundred and forty-nine Australians aged 18 years and over were asked about their experiences of a number of amenity-type problems and the distance they lived to the nearest on- and off-premise alcohol outlet. Bivariate results showed that respondents living closer to on- and off-premise outlets reported more problems, with minor differences by distance to on- and off-premise outlet. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, controlling for possible confounding effects of the respondent and neighbourhood characteristics, living closer to on-premise outlets was independently associated with reporting being kept awake or disturbed at night and living closer to an off-premise outlet was independently associated with reporting property damage. A possible interpretation of the results is that respondents living close to on- and off-premise outlets experience more amenity problems than those living further away, but that these experiences are concentrated among demographic groups who live in these areas. Direction of influence cannot be inferred from these cross-sectional findings.

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this pa... more In light of possible introduction of alcohol warning labels in Australia and New Zealand, this paper discusses the international experience with and evidence of effects of alcohol warning labels. Approach. The report describes international experience with providing information and warnings concerning the promotion or sale of alcoholic beverages, and considers the evidence on the effects of such information and warnings.The experience with and evaluations of the effects of tobacco warning labels are also considered. Key Findings. The most methodologically sound evaluations of alcohol warning labels are based on the US experience. Although these evaluations find little evidence that the introduction of the warning label in the USA had an impact on drinking behaviour, there is evidence that they led to an increase in awareness of the message they contained. In contrast, evaluations of tobacco warning labels find clear evidence of effects on behaviour. Implications. There is a need and opportunity for a rigorous evaluation of the impacts of introducing alcohol warning labels to add to the published work on their effectiveness. The experience with tobacco labels might guide the way for more effective alcohol warning labels. Conclusion. Alcohol warning labels are an increasingly popular alcohol policy initiative. It is clear that warning labels can be ineffective, but the tobacco experience suggests that effective warning labels are possible. Any introduction of alcohol warning labels should be evaluated in terms of effects on attitudes and behaviour. [Wilkinson C, Room R. Warnings on alcohol containers and advertisements: International experience and evidence on effects. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:426-435]

Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009

Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explor... more Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored. The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour. Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used the 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004 NDSHS. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less. The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time.

Alcohol and Alcoholism, 2013

Given the variety of relationships found between alcohol consumption and health using individual ... more Given the variety of relationships found between alcohol consumption and health using individual data (both negative and positive), the likely impact of changes in population-level alcohol consumption on health at the population level is not clear. This paper uses historical data from 1911 to 2006 to assess the relationship between changes in per-capita alcohol consumption on total male mortality in Australia. A longitudinal aggregate study using Australian per-capita alcohol consumption and mortality data from 1911 to 2006. Analysis is undertaken using autoregressive integrated moving average time-series methods. Per-capita pure alcohol consumption has a significant association with male all-cause mortality, with an increase (decrease) of 1 l per-capita per year associated with a 1.5% increase (decrease) in male mortality (controlling for female mortality and smoking rates). The association between per-capita consumption and mortality was significant for all age groups, with a particularly strong effect among 15-29 year olds. These results place Australia in the group of countries for which a positive association between per-capita alcohol consumption and total mortality can be demonstrated. Thus, despite the beneficial effects of alcohol consumption on health found in many studies, increases in consumption at the population level in Australia are associated with declines in population health. Thus, per-capita alcohol consumption in Australia is a significant contributor to rates of male mortality, particularly among young adults, suggesting an interaction between per-capita consumption and risky episodic drinking. The policies aiming to reduce population-level alcohol consumption and episodic risky drinking have the potential to substantially improve population-health outcomes in Australia, particularly among young men.