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PubMed1990

[Bacterial regrowth in drinking water. IV. Bacterial flora in fresh and stagnant water in drinking water purification and in the drinking water distribution system].

Six dead end water pipes were installed inside a Zurich drinking water plant and five others over a distance of 12 km along the distribution system and the water was left stagnating in there for 2 weeks. A total of 1508 bacteria from fresh and stagnating water were isolated and identified. Of these, 241 bacterial isolates from the distribution system were examined using the nutrient-tolerance test, i.e. testing the ability to grow in tap water and in media with low and very high nutrient content. In the fresh water of the treatment plant specific bacterial populations were obtained, these occurring particularly after the filters. According to different chlorine dosage and chlorine demand, they were finally washed into the distribution system in varying amounts and compositions. It was shown that in the fresh water of the distribution system the genera of Pseudomonas, Azotobacter and Actinobacteria were each present at a level of approximately 30%. After two weeks stagnation non-fluorescing pseudomonads were dominating in the treatment plant as well as in the fresh water of the distribution system. All isolated Actinobacteria and Azotobacter and almost half of the Pseudomonads proved to be oligotrophic oligocarbotolerants or oligocarbophilic organisms in the nutrient-tolerance test. The other half of the Pseudomonads plus the Flexibacter species were mesotrophic oligocarbotolerants, since they could grow in tap water and in culture media with very high nutrient content. Attention is drawn to the unrecognized danger of recontamination of mesotrophic bacteria growing rapidly in stagnating drinking water, which is used as rinsing water for cleaning food processing equipment.

Acinetobacter↗

PubMed1998

What makes alcohol-dependent individuals early in abstinence crave for alcohol: exposure to the drink, images of drinking, or remembrance of drinks past?

Craving is a major factor in addiction, predicting poorer outcome to treatment To improve our understanding of craving for alcohol, we have compared in the laboratory the effects of inducing craving for alcohol by exposure to the sight and the smell of an alcoholic beverage, imagery of craving scripts, and recall of autobiographical memories of craving. We used subjective measures of craving, together with autonomic measures, in 14 abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals in the first month after detoxification. All subjects reported a significant increase in ratings of urges after exposure to alcoholic drinks, following the imagery of craving and after recalling autobiographical memories of craving. Physiological measures have shown that craving imagery as well as memory induction were equally effective as exposure to alcoholic drinks in modestly increasing autonomic arousal (indicated by systolic blood pressure). Our preliminary findings support the existing evidence in nicotine and opiate dependence that images and memories are as effective as in vivo exposure in eliciting craving for drugs.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Drinking to extremes: theoretical and empiricalanalyses of peak drinking levels among college students.

OBJECTIVE: Heavy drinking among college students continues to be a substantial problem on campuses across the United States. Attempts to predict these drinking events have been restricted to assessments of the correlates of heavy drinking (measured at 4 or 5 drinks) and have not examined the peak drinking levels that can be fatal to students. This article presents a theoretical analysis of college drinking patterns that provides a basis for estimating peak drinking levels and predicts future risks related to peak drinking events. METHOD: Survey data were collected on sociodemographics and drinking patterns of 2,102 college students from two college campuses in California. A mathematical model of drinking patterns was used to characterize the stochastic distribution of drinking events among 1,273 students who drank five or more times and consumed more than one drink on some occasion since the beginning of the school year. An application of extreme value theory enabled the estimation of peak drinking levels for every college drinker. These estimates were related to self-reported maximum drinking levels and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. RESULTS: Among these drinkers, the distribution of self-reported maximum drinking levels ranged from 2 to 43 drinks per occasion. Estimated peak drinking levels ranged from 3 to 49. Maximum drinking levels were well characterized by peak drinking estimates (R2 = 0.503). Variations in peak drinking levels were large and specifically related to particular sociodemographic groups (i.e., white male freshmen). CONCLUSIONS: The theoretical model of peak drinking events effectively characterizes maximum drinking levels among college students. High levels of peak drinking are to be expected among specific sociodemographic subgroups. These risks can be assessed on an individual basis. At the population level, risks for harm related to peak drinking events are predictable.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1994

[Comparative study of the drinking patterns of heavy-drinking and other college students].

In order to contribute to measures to solve the problems caused by college students who are heavy drinkers, a comparative study of their drinking patterns, as compared to the drinking patterns of other college students, was conducted. Significant differences were observed between heavy-drinking and other students in the following 14 instances, which include drinking frequency, attitude when offered a drink, coerced drinking, like or dislike of drinking, insatiable drinking, flushing or turning pale during drinking, attitude towards a doctor's advice to quit drinking, desire to quit drinking, cost of drinking, attitude towards someone who cannot drink, experience of morning drinking during the past year, experience of loss of consciousness due to drinking, lack of success in efforts to stop drinking, and opinion of those who gulp down drinks. Almost no significant differences were revealed between heavy drinkers and other college students in regard to the desire to drink after taking an examination, drinking on borrowed money, and acting surly or abusive after drinking. Relationships between the ratio of heavy-drinking students and club activities, place of residence and place of birth were also investigated. Results which implied relationships in these cases were found, but the sample was too small to detect significant differences. Further investigation is needed by increasing the sample numbers.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Drinking patterns, drinking contexts and alcohol-related aggression among late adolescent and young adult drinkers.

AIMS: The main objectives of this study were to determine: (1) the relative roles of heavy episodic drinking (HED), drinking frequency and drinking volume in explaining alcohol-related aggression and (2) whether drinking context variables (i.e. usual drinking locations, typical drinking companions and extent of peer drinking) confound or modify the relationship between HED and alcohol-related aggression or whether they predict alcohol-related aggression independently. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth was conducted. Alcohol-related aggression (denoted fights after drinking) was measured based on self-reports of arguments or fights that occurred during or after drinking in the previous 12 months. PARTICIPANTS: A composite sample of drinkers, ages 17-21, from the 1994, 1996 and 1998 Young Adult surveys (n = 738) was used. FINDINGS: Frequency of drinking and drinking volume largely confounded the association between HED and fights after drinking. Usually drinking in public locations away from home versus private locations was found to be significantly associated with a greater likelihood of fights after drinking among females. Among males, usual drinking location modified the relationship between drinking frequency and alcohol-related aggression, with the greatest risk of aggression for males who drank frequently and usually drank in public locations away from home. CONCLUSIONS: Programs designed to reduce drinking frequency in this population and to increase the safety of drinking locations in public places away from home may prove to be beneficial in reducing alcohol-related aggression.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

A cross-study contextual analysis of effects from individual-level drinking and group-level drinking factors: a meta-analysis of multiple longitudinal studies from the collaborative alcohol-related longitudinal project.

In contextual (cross-level) analysis within multiple longitudinal general population studies, individual-level drinking behaviors (quantity per typical occasion, frequency of drinking per month and total volume of drinks per month) at final measurement are assessed by three models that simultaneously enter individual- and group-level measures. Two age groups (15-20 and 21-30) are independently assessed. In each model, the Time 1 individual-level drinking behavior and one of three group-level factors are entered. The group-level factors are (1) the percentage of abstainers at Time 1 for each age/sex cohort, (2) the Time 1 group mean for the drinking measure for the age/sex cohort and (3) the mean difference of the age/sex cohort's change in the drinking measure over time. All variables in the model are controlled by variations to exposure in per capita consumption of alcohol during the age/sex cohort's formative years and at Time 2. Meta-analysis assesses the homogeneity of the findings across studies. Models were proposed with the rationale that (1) understanding of individual drinking behavior can be advanced if individual-level data and group-level data are considered in the same models, and (2) integration of these two levels of analyses are, to date, rare. The rationale for using meta-analysis is that findings from the models can be assessed across social contexts with respect to their generalizability. The mean difference model, controlling for individual drinking at Time 1, is the most influential of the group-level models for the younger age group: the degree to which the group changes its drinking pattern is positively related to individual-level drinking behavior at final measurement, over and above the individual's drinking behavior at Time 1, for individual-level frequency of drinking among males (homogeneous among drinkers only). Younger females show more significant relationships for the mean difference females show more significant relationships for the mean difference model. Findings are significant for all relationships examined for the mean difference of the drinking of the group and the individual drinking among the older males and females. Measures of individual-level drinking for all measures at Time 1, controlling for the group-level effects, are significantly related to individual-level drinking at final measurement. The results are homogeneous for quantity (drinkers only) and volume among the young. Findings indicate that characterizations of the drinking for both the individual and the group to which the individual belongs predict measures of drinking practices on the individual level over time.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Demographic characteristics, drinking patterns and drink-driving behavior of injured male drivers and motorcycle riders.

OBJECTIVE: The demographic characteristics, usual drinking and drink-driving patterns, incidence of problem drinking, precrash drinking behavior and attitudes towards drink-driving of crash-involved male drivers and riders are described and related to blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on admission to hospital. A better understanding of these issues will enable drink-driving countermeasures to target more specifically those individuals who are most at risk of being killed or injured in alcohol-related road crashes. METHOD: Between June 1985 and April 1987 interviews were conducted with a sample of 302 male drivers and motorcycle riders admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia. RESULTS: With one exception, the likelihood of having a high BAC (i.e., 80 mg/dl or above) did not differ with demographic profile. As BAC increased, there was a significant increase in: various indices of quantity and frequency of drinking; beer being the preferred beverage; percentages drinking alone, in a hotel, in a vehicle and for various less socially acceptable reasons; frequency of drink-driving; likelihood of previous drink-driving suspension; and, more liberal attitudes towards drink-driving. About 25% of those with a BAC of at least 150 mg/dl were probably experiencing alcohol-related problems prior to the crash, compared with only a very small proportion of those with lower BACs. Precrash drinking most commonly involved drinking in a hotel, drinking with friends and drinking beer, with no significant differences between BAC groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that usual drinking and drink-driving patterns, as well as attitudes to drink-driving, become more extreme as the BAC of male crash-involved drivers and riders increases.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed1999

The influence of parental drinking and closeness on adolescent drinking.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the relationship of parental drinking and adolescent's closeness to parents to adolescent drinking behavior by focusing on three related issues: (1) the independent effects of parental drinking and closeness to parents on adolescent drinking, (2) the mediating role of closeness to parents for the effect of parental drinking, and (3) their interactive effects. METHOD: The issues were addressed with use of data from 378 respondents in a random-digit dialing sample of 625 male adolescents at age range 16 to 19 in the Buffalo area. Mother's and father's drinking and adolescent's closeness to mother and father were measured separately. Regression analyses were used to assess the effects of these measures on adolescent drinking regarding the three related issues. RESULTS: Only father's drinking has a direct effect on adolescent drinking. Although closeness to mother is a significant protection against adolescent drinking, mother's drinking has no effect on closeness to mother. In contrast, father's drinking has a significant effect on closeness to father, but closeness to father has no direct effect on adolescent drinking. Therefore, there is no mediating role of closeness to parents for the effect of parental drinking. Finally, there is an interaction between mother's drinking and closeness to mother, which indicates that adolescents whose mothers are heavy drinkers and who have low closeness to their mothers drink more heavily. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that for the mother and the father there are different patterns of the relationship between parental drinking and closeness at work in explaining adolescent drinking.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Development and evaluation of a low erosive blackcurrant juice drink. 3. Final drink and concentrate, formulae comparisons in situ and overview of the concept.

OBJECTIVE: Two previous studies demonstrated that a blackcurrant juice drink with added calcium produced little erosion of enamel in vitro and in situ by comparison with other low pH fruit drinks. The primary aim of this study was to demonstrate that the final formulation drink and concentrate were of similar low erosivity. Secondary aims were to provide more data on the erosivity of other fruit drink concentrates and whether erosion was influenced by anterior and posterior palate siting of enamel specimens. METHOD: The study was a single centre, single blind, randomised placebo controlled 5 cell crossover design involving 15 volunteers. The test drinks were blackcurrant juice/calcium concentrate, blackcurrant juice/calcium drink, proprietary apple & blackcurrant juice concentrate, proprietary orange drink concentrate and water. Four enamel samples were retained in situ, 2 anterior palate and 2 mid/posterior palate, on upper removable acrylic appliances. Drinks were 250 ml volumes consumed 4 times per day during 15 working days. Concentrates were diluted 50 ml in 200 ml water. Measurements of enamel loss were made on one anterior and one posterior sample on days 2, 5, 10 and 15 by profilometry. RESULTS: One subject approached the 20 microns erosion limit by day 10 on the orange drink and was withdrawn from that cell. Differences in mean erosion between anterior and posterior sites were variable and small. By day 15 the mean losses of enamel averaged over anterior and posterior were blackcurrant/calcium concentrate 0.28 micron, blackcurrant/calcium drink 0.35 micron, apple & blackcurrant concentrate 2.04 microns. orange concentrate 8.29 microns and water 0.08 micron. Except at day 15 for the blackcurrant/calcium drink the erosion by the blackcurrant/calcium formulations was not significantly different from water at any time point. Erosion by the apple & blackcurrant and orange concentrate drinks was highly significantly greater than the blackcurrant/calcium drinks at all but the 2 day time point for the apple & blackcurrant concentrate drink compared to the blackcurrant/calcium drink. CONCLUSIONS: All data thus far indicate that dependant on tooth site susceptibility and the specific drink, the consumption of standard low pH fruit drinks could result in 1 mm loss of enamel in periods ranging from as little as 2 years to 20 years. Similar erosion by the low pH blackcurrant drinks with added calcium would take in excess of 100 years.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Personality traits and drinking to cope as predictors of hazardous drinking among medical students.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence and development of drinking to cope and hazardous drinking among medical students and to examine whether various personality traits and drinking to cope predict hazardous drinking. METHOD: In a 6-year prospective study of a nationwide sample of medical students (N = 421) assessments were made by questionnaire at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of each participant's tenure at medical school. A cohort of 272 medical students (56% women) from all medical schools in Norway participated at both T1 and T2. The questionnaires encompassed measures of personality characteristics (Basic Characteristic Inventory) and alcohol-use (hazardous drinking and drinking to cope). RESULTS: The levels of drinking to cope and hazardous drinking were not significantly different between T1 and T2, rising from 9.2% to 11.8% and from 17.7% to 19.2%, respectively. Hazardous drinking at T1 (odds ratio [OR] = 7.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.2-15.4) and level of control (personality trait) at T1 (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.9) predicted hazardous drinking at T2 among all the students. Hazardous drinking (OR = 3.5; 95% CI: 1.4-9.0), control (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.9) and drinking to cope at T1 (OR = 5.0; 95% CI: 1.0-24.1) independently predicted hazardous drinking at T2 among the men, whereas the only predictor among the women was hazardous drinking at T1 (OR = 42.1; 95% CI: 8.1-218.2). CONCLUSIONS: Drinking to cope should be targeted for preventive measures against hazardous drinking, particularly among men. The effects of personality and drinking to cope differ by gender and should be studied further.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

Development and evaluation of a low erosive blackcurrant juice drink. 2. Comparison with a conventional blackcurrant juice drink and orange juice.

OBJECTIVE: A previous study demonstrated that an experimental low pH blackcurrant juice drink with calcium was markedly less erosive to enamel both in situ and in vitro than orange juice. Further development of the experimental blackcurrant juice drink formula has occurred and the aims of the present studies were two fold. Firstly, to confirm the low erosivity of the modified formulation and secondly, to provide more comparative data with other acidic fruit drink products. METHOD: The study was a single centre, single blind, randomised placebo controlled 4 cell crossover design involving 12 healthy volunteers. The test drinks were orange juice, water, experimental blackcurrant juice drink with calcium and a proprietary blackcurrant juice drink. Enamel samples were retained in situ at the mid palatal regions using intraoral appliances and exposed to 250 ml volumes of the drinks 4 times per day during 15 working days. Measurements of enamel loss were made by profilometry. The same method was modelled in vitro. RESULTS: By day 15 the mean losses of enamel in situ for orange juice, water, experimental blackcurrant juice drink with calcium and blackcurrant juice drink were 1.70, 0.05, 0.44 and 2.75 microns respectively. At all bar one measurement, the loss of enamel was significantly greater for all fruit drinks compared to water. Losses caused by the blackcurrant juice drink with calcium were significantly less than the other two fruit drinks at all time points. Losses of enamel by day 15 in the study in vitro were 13.02, 0.00, 1.78 and 39.02 microns respectively. The blackcurrant juice drink with calcium was not significantly different from water at days 3 and 6, otherwise all pairwise comparisons for differences between the 4 drinks at each time period were significant. CONCLUSIONS: The methodologies in situ and in vitro again appear to correlate in ranking the order of erosivity of drinks. The data particularly from the study in situ allude to the very low comparative erosivity of the further modified experimental blackcurrant juice drink with calcium and support the further development of such drinks for public consumption.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

["Nutrition beyond 65"--amount of usual drinking fluid and motivation to drink are interrelated in community-living, independent elderly people].

BACKGROUND: Elderly people are at increased risk of dehydration due to age-related changes in kidney function, thirst perception, body water content and homeostatic capacity. Special attitudes toward drinking may furthermore contribute to the problem. Surprisingly, little is known about usual fluid intake and the motivation to drink in community-living elderly people. Thus, the aim of the present study was the assessment of fluid intake from beverages and the motivation to drink in this population group. METHODS: From a random sample of 1200 elderly, stratified into three age-groups (65-74 y., 75-84 y., 85+ y.), 361 fulfilled the inclusion criteria (living independently in private households and mental ability to answer simple questions correctly) and took part in this cross-sectional study. Usual fluid intake of beverages and seven attitudes towards drinking were assessed in personal in-home interviews by standardized questionnaire. Drinking fluid was classified into 5 classes. The relation between drinking fluid and attitudes was checked by the chi(2) test. RESULTS: 14% of all participants (men 15%, women 14%; n.s.) reported usual drinking amounts below 1 l. This proportion was markedly higher in very-old elderly (85+ y. 27%) compared to younger participants (75-84 y. 15%, 65-74 y. 8%; p=0.001). Of all participants, 78% confirmed the statement "I am drinking because it is healthy", while 57% agreed to the statement "I am drinking because it tastes good." Subjects who stated that they pay attention to sufficient drinking amounts (63%) only rarely drank less than 1 l (7%; p<0.001). In contrast, one quarter to one third of subjects who only drink when they are thirsty (54%), who stated to drink little because of lacking thirst (30%) or to reduce the amount of drinking fluid in order to avoid micturition in general (9%) or during the night (12%) drank less than 1 l (all p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Every seventh subject aged 65 years or older and every fourth aged 85 years or older shows insufficient amounts of drinking fluid. The observed relations between usual fluid intake and attitudes towards drinking argue for the possibility to improve drinking behavior by selective educational measures.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Age of drinking onset, driving after drinking, and involvement in alcohol related motor-vehicle crashes.

This study assessed whether persons who begin drinking at younger ages are more likely to report drunk driving and alcohol-related crash involvement over the life course, even after controlling analytically for diagnosis of alcohol dependence, years of drinking alcohol, and other personal characteristics associated with the age respondents started drinking. A national survey asked 42,862 respondents the age that they started drinking, whether they drove after drinking too much, and whether they were in motor-vehicle crashes because of their drinking. This analysis focused on 27,081 (65%), who reported ever drinking in their lifetime. The earlier the age respondents started drinking, the more likely they were to report driving after drinking too much and being in a motor-vehicle crash because of their drinking even after adjusting for current/ever diagnosis of alcohol dependence, number of years respondents had been drinking, and other characteristics and behaviors associated with the age respondents started drinking. Particularly, among persons who were never alcohol-dependent, those who began drinking in each age group under 21, relative to those starting at age 21 or older, were more likely to report "ever" and "in the past year" being in a crash after drinking too much. The traffic safety benefits of delaying drinking may extend well beyond the legal drinking age of 21.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2004

Association of age at first drink with current alcohol drinking variables in a national general population sample.

BACKGROUND: Age at first drink has been found to be associated with alcohol problems in adulthood, but little is known regarding the relationship of age at first drink and current alcohol intake variables. This study was designed to determine the relationship of age at first drink to traditional drinking variables as well as novel current drinking variables assessed for the first time in a national general population sample. METHOD: Data on age of first drink, pathological drinking (DSM-IV alcohol abuse or dependence) and alcohol intake on typical drinking occasions were collected on a national general population sample of 2631 subjects by means of computerized telephone interviewing. Variables assessed for the first time in a national survey included the duration of the typical drinking episode and the predicted peak blood alcohol levels achieved during those episodes. RESULTS: Data from 2276 subjects who reported an age at first drink were used in this study. Men and lifetime pathological drinkers reported an earlier age at first drink than did, respectively, women or lifetime nonpathological drinkers. There were significant regression coefficients between age at first drink and several current drinking measures. The largest coefficients were usually found within younger age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Age at first drink may be a useful predictive variable for some current drinking measures, including predicted peak blood alcohol levels as well as lifetime alcohol pathology. Further support was provided for the "convergence" hypothesis that the drinking habits of women have become more like those of men.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Pre-pregnancy drinking: how drink size affects risk assessment.

AIMS: We considered the role of drink size in determining average daily consumption among groups at risk for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. DESIGN: In-person hour-long interviews gathered cross-sectional retrospective data about drinking before an index pregnancy. SETTING: Subjects were recruited at public clinics in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. To reach those not necessarily seeking prenatal care, community outreach in the same urban areas was undertaken. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and twenty-one pregnant women were interviewed: 102 Native Americans, 185 African Americans, and 34 Caucasians. MEASUREMENTS: Volume of drinking prior to pregnancy was assessed using the graduated frequency series, which asks respondents to specify their drinking in terms of standard drinks. Using vessel models and photographs, respondent-defined drink sizes were then determined, and volume was recalculated accordingly. FINDINGS: For most beverages, the difference in milliliters between self-selected drink size and a standard size drink was significant, with the mean self-selected drink sizes ranging from 49% above the standard size (for beer) to 307% above the standard size (for spirits). For women whose pre-pregnancy average daily volume (ADV) was at the risk level of > or = 1 standard drink per day, ADV increased from four to almost 10 standard drinks per day when self-defined drink sizes were instead considered. Similarly, for women having three or more standard drinks a day, their daily dose of ethanol increased from 57 g to 153 g of ethanol per day. CONCLUSIONS: If risk levels have been based on underestimates that assume women with alcohol-affected infants had standard drink sizes, then true risk levels may be higher than previously thought. Related, risk drinkers presenting at prenatal clinics may be missed if screening protocols do not ask about drink size.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2005

College students lack knowledge of standard drink volumes: implications for definitions of risky drinking based on survey data.

BACKGROUND: College students tend to pour single servings of beer and liquor that are larger than commonly used standards. The reasons for this are unknown. Students might overpour because they lack knowledge of standard serving sizes. Alternatively, they might know how much alcohol to pour but simply have difficulty pouring the correct amounts. Misperceptions of standard serving sizes could lead to inaccuracies in self-reported consumption. If this is the case, then the validity of students' responses on alcohol surveys and the definitions of risky drinking that are based on them would be called into question. This study examined how college students define standard drinks, whether their definitions are similar to the definitions commonly used by alcohol researchers and government agencies, and whether their definitions of standard drinks are related to the sizes of the drinks that they pour. The study also examined whether feedback regarding the accuracy of their definitions of standard drinks leads students to alter their self-reported levels of consumption. METHODS: Students (N = 133) completed an alcohol survey and performed tasks that required them to free-pour a single beer, glass of wine, shot of liquor, or the amount of liquor in a mixed drink. Roughly half of the students received feedback regarding their definitions of standard drinks. All students then were resurveyed about their recent levels of consumption. RESULTS: With the exception of beer, students incorrectly defined the volumes of standard servings of alcohol, overestimating the appropriate volumes. They also overestimated appropriate volumes when asked to free-pour drinks. Positive relationships existed between students' definitions of standard drinks and the sizes of the drinks that they free-poured. Feedback regarding misperceptions of standard drink volumes led to an increase in levels of self-reported consumption, suggesting that students' original estimates of their alcohol consumption were too low. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the recent focus on alcohol education and prevention at the college level, college students have not been taught how to define standard drinks accurately. They tend to overstate the appropriate volumes, leading them to overpour drinks and underreport levels of consumption. Self-reported consumption levels are altered by feedback regarding the accuracy of students' definitions of standard drinks. The findings raise important questions about the validity of students' responses on alcohol surveys and the definitions of risky drinking that are based them.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Heavy drinking from the freshman year into early young adulthood: the roles of stress, tension-reduction drinking motives, gender and personality.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the relationship between stress (defined alternatively as negative life events and emotional distress) and heavy drinking across late adolescence and early young adulthood, as well as the roles of tension-reduction drinking motives and gender as moderators of that relationship. The role of personality variables (neuroticism, behavioral undercontrol and extraversion) as moderators also was explored. METHOD: The data were obtained from 485 individuals (255 women) participating in a five-wave longitudinal study that spanned 7 years. The effects on heavy drinking of stress (either negative life events or emotional distress), tension-reduction drinking motives, gender and personality were analyzed each year with hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Stress (negative life events) was positively related to heavy drinking, but only for men with stronger tension-reduction drinking motives at Year 4 (age 21). The relationship between tension-reduction drinking motives and heavy drinking was positive, developmentally graded, and moderated by gender, after the freshman year, the role of tension-reduction drinking motives in heavy drinking became less important for women, relative to men, a trend that grew stronger after the college years. Behavioral undercontrol played a limited role in the relationship of gender and tension-reduction drinking motives to heavy drinking. CONCLUSIONS: The findings have implications for theories of stress-related and stress-motivated drinking. Such theories should consider developmental processes, particularly the transition to adult drinking status at age 21 and the roles of tension-reduction drinking motives, gender and behavioral undercontrol.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Age of drinking onset and involvement in physical fights after drinking.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether people who start drinking at an early age are more likely to have been in physical fights after drinking, independent of respondent history of alcohol dependence and frequency of heavy drinking. DESIGN: In 1992, the US Census Bureau interviewed, in person, 42 862 randomly selected adults age 18 or older, mean age 44, household response rate 91.9%, and in-person response rate 97.4%. The survey included questions regarding the age respondents started drinking, frequency of heavy drinking, and whether respondents were ever or in the past year in a physical fight after drinking alcohol. RESULTS: Relative to respondents who did not begin drinking until age 21 or older, those who started drinking before age 17 were 2.9 to 4.1 times more likely ever in their lives, and at least 3 times more likely in the past year, to have been in a fight after drinking. These relationships were found even after controlling for personal history of alcohol dependence, years of drinking, frequency of heavy drinking, smoking, drug use, and other personal characteristics associated with the age respondents started drinking. CONCLUSIONS: An early age of drinking onset was associated with alcohol-related violence not only among persons under age 21 but among adults as well. Physicians need to query adolescent patients about the age they began drinking and counsel them about the increased risks associated with early drinking onset, such as an increased risk of being involved in alcohol-related violence.

Adolescent↗