Biomedical subjects

Taisia Huckle

Publications and source records attributed to Taisia Huckle.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Trends in alcohol-related harms and offences in a liberalized alcohol environment.

AIM: To assess alcohol-related harms and offences in New Zealand from 1990 to 2003, a period of alcohol policy liberalization, that included the lowering of the purchase age from 20 to 18 years in 1999. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Time trend analyses were carried out on routinely collected data for prosecutions for driving with excess alcohol; alcohol-involved vehicle crashes (all and fatal) and prosecutions for disorder offences. These were carried out separately for those aged 14-15, 16-17, 18-19, 20-24 and 25 years and over. MEASUREMENTS: Rates of: prosecutions for driving with excess alcohol (1990-2003); rates of alcohol- involved vehicle crashes (all and fatal) (1990-2003); and rates of prosecutions for disorder offences (1994-2003). FINDINGS: Effects of alcohol policy liberalization: positive trends were found in the rates of prosecutions for disorder in the 16-17, 18-19, 20-24 and 25 + age groups; with 18-19-year-olds and 16-17-year-olds having the largest rates and largest positive trend in rates. For 16-17-year-olds, there was a positive trend in the rates of prosecutions for excess breath alcohol. Negative trends in rates were found for alcohol-related crashes (all and fatal) among all age groups. Negative trends for those over 16-17 years were found for prosecutions for driving with excess breath alcohol (this was prior to the lowering of the purchase age). Effects of lowering the minimum purchase age: the lowering of minimum purchase age coincided with an increase in the trend of alcohol-related crashes for 18-19-year-olds; the next largest increase was among the 20-24-year-olds (all other age groups also increased but at a much lower rate). A similar result was found for driving with excess alcohol for those aged 18-19 (and those aged 20-24 years). An increase in the rates of prosecutions for disorder offences occurred for the 14-15-year-old group following the lowering of the purchase age. CONCLUSION: The liberalization of alcohol throughout the 1990s may have influenced younger people more, as reflected in increases in their disorder offences and drink driving. The lowering of the minimum purchase age may have led to an increase in drink-driving among the 18-19-year-olds (those directly affected by the change in purchase age).

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2005

Evaluation of a regional community action intervention in New Zealand to improve age checks for young people purchasing alcohol.

This paper describes the evaluation of a regional community action intervention to reduce access to alcohol from off-license premises by minors. The intervention focussed on: (1) monitoring alcohol sales made without age identification from off-licenses; (2) utilizing data on alcohol sales for media advocacy and direct contact with alcohol retailers and (3) working with key enforcement staff to encourage increased monitoring and enforcement of minimum purchase age legislation for off-licenses. Evaluation of this intervention used a case study design. Purchase survey data was obtained before and after intervention. Media items were monitored and included pre- and post-intervention phases. Interviews, with key enforcement staff, and document review were undertaken post-intervention. Purchase survey data showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in sales of alcohol made to young people without age identification pre- and post-intervention. Pre-intervention: 60% of visits resulted in a sale made without age identification; post-intervention this proportion was 46%. Principal component analysis of newsprint media indicated increased coverage of items advocating improved age checking for off-licenses following intervention. Interview data and document review indicate that some enforcement staff in the region implemented increased enforcement strategies including, controlled purchase operations and increased visits to off-licenses due to the intervention. Evaluation findings indicate that collaborative and intersectoral community action interventions implemented regionally can be effective in redirecting resources to achieve preventive outcomes at a population level.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Survey data need not underestimate alcohol consumption.

BACKGROUND: There are two main ways to assess alcohol consumption in a population: per capita estimates, usually derived from data on taxable alcohol available for consumption, and population-based surveys. Population-based survey estimates of alcohol consumption are often compared with estimates based on taxable alcohol available for consumption as a measure of validity. Discrepancies between these two measures occur, with the majority of population-based surveys substantially underestimating taxable alcohol available for consumption. METHODS: This article argues, however, that high proportions of taxable alcohol available for consumption can be accounted for by population-based surveys and reports a method of data collection for a national alcohol survey that has accounted for 94% of the taxable alcohol in New Zealand. RESULTS: The ability of the survey methodology to account for this proportion of taxable alcohol is likely due to the within-location beverage-specific alcohol consumption measures used in the survey, the process of recording the quantity of alcohol consumed, the use of a computer-assisted telephone interview system, and the population coverage achieved. CONCLUSIONS: Population-based surveys using the methodology outlined in this article may account for, if not exceed, the high proportions of taxable alcohol available for consumption estimates for some populations.

Adolescent↗