Alcohol harm and cost at a community level: data from police and health

Abstract

The Australian National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2009 recommends strengthening data collection at the local level, gathering information from emergency department (ED) attendees and, by integrating data sources, to develop a better understanding of alcohol- related harm. We piloted a method to estimate the number of alcohol-related presentations to ED and alcohol-related police incidents in a remote regional centre. We explore the practicality and benefits of integrating such alcohol related police and health data. Broken Hill Hospital is the district hospital that serves Broken Hill and surrounds in far west New South Wales, a population of approximately 20 000, over 90% of whom live in the town itself. Computerised records of all attendances are available. The Barrier police command is based in Broken Hill with 56 police. Over two one-week periods a combination of a short patient questionnaire, nurses' assessment and concordance with Broken Hill police records were used to determine alcohol-related presentations. Both health and police data showed seasonal variation, with alcohol-related incidents and costs doubling in warmer weather. Altogether 32 people (5% of all 602 presentations) were recorded as having consumed alcohol prior to the event that brought them to ED. From 765 events, police attended 118 (15%) alcohol-related incidents. While the two groups were essentially independent, they were very similar demographically. The majority (68%) were males aged in their 30s who came to ED/ police notice in the late evening/early morning, mainly in the weekend. By integrating police data, routine ED data and an ED survey, a more comprehensive picture of alcohol-related harms emerged. Future research would benefit from the use of project officers in ED and in the police force, to improve compliance and data completeness. A more comprehensive local picture would also include data from other agencies dealing with alcohol. A longer study is necessary to confirm the preliminary data on seasonal variation. Key words: alcohol, emergency department, injury prevention/ early intervention, intoxication, police incidents/crime.