Hazardous Drinking Research Articles

Driving under the influence of cannabis among recreational and medical cannabis users: A population study

BackgroundComparisons of individuals using cannabis for medical versus recreational purposes have identified differences in health status, alcohol and drug use, and perceived risk of drug use. All of these factors are associated with aggressive and impaired driving and collision risk. Yet, few studies comparing medical and recreational cannabis users have considered differences in driver behaviour and road safety. AimThis study examined the association between type of cannabis use (medical versus recreational-only) and engaging in driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC), controlling for suspected confounding variables. MethodData were derived from a regionally stratified cross-sectional general population telephone survey of adults (18+ years) in Ontario, Canada conducted from 2014 to 2019. Respondents reporting past-year operation of a vehicle and past-year use of cannabis were selected (N = 1392). A binary logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between type of cannabis user (medical versus recreational-only) and self-reported DUIC, controlling for cannabis use frequency, hazardous drinking, perceived general and mental health, demographic characteristics, driving exposure, and interview year. ResultsIn total, 9.7 percent of recreational-only users reported DUIC compared to 27.0 percent of medical users. Adjusting for covariates, medical cannabis users had almost two times greater odds of DUIC than recreational-only users (AdjOR = 1.78, p = .037, 95%CI = 1.03, 3.05). DiscussionA higher proportion of medical cannabis users, relative to recreational-only users, engaged in DUIC. This finding has important implications for improving the effectiveness of public health interventions designed to reduce DUIC. Further research examining the harms of medical versus recreational cannabis use for road safety is needed.

Examining differential responses to the Take Care of Me trial: A latent class and moderation analysis

Given prevalent alcohol misuse-emotional comorbidities among young adults, we developed an internet-based integrated treatment called Take Care of Me. Although the treatment had an impact on several secondary outcomes, effects were not observed for the primary outcome. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to examine heterogeneity in treatment responses. The initial RCT randomized participants to either a treatment or psychoeducational control condition. We conducted an exploratory latent class analysis to distinguish individuals based on pre-treatment risk and then used moderated regressions to examine differential treatment responses based on class membership. We found evidence for three distinct groups. Most participants fell in the “low severity” group (n = 123), followed by the “moderate severity” group (n = 57) who had a higher likelihood of endorsing a previous mental health diagnosis and treatment and higher symptom severity than the low group. The “high severity” group (n = 42) endorsed a family history of alcoholism, and the highest symptom severity and executive dysfunction. Moderated regressions revealed significant class differences in treatment responses. In the treatment condition, high severity (relative to low) participants reported higher alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking and lower quality of life at follow-up, whereas moderate severity (relative to low) individuals had lower alcohol consumption at follow-up, and lower hazardous drinking at end-of-treatment. No class differences were found for participants in the control group. Higher risk individuals in the treatment condition had poorer responses to the program. Tailoring interventions to severity may be important to examine in future research.

Open trial of a personalized feedback intervention and substance-free activity supplement for veterans with PTSD and hazardous drinking.

This study reports findings from an open trial of a two-session intervention for veterans with symptoms of PTSD and hazardous drinking. Rooted in behavioral economic theory, this intervention aimed to decrease alcohol use and increase alcohol-free activities through personalized and normative feedback. This trial assessed the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention in a sample of 15 veterans. Participants completed assessments at baseline and post-intervention (1-month and 3-months). Thirteen participants (86.6%) were retained between the baseline assessment and second intervention session. Acceptability data indicated that veterans overwhelmingly viewed the intervention positively with little dropout between the two sessions. Further, participants in our study reduced alcohol consumption from 37.30 (SD = 17.30) drinks per week at baseline to 22.50 (SD = 27.75) drinks per week at the 1-month assessment and then to 14.60 (SD = 18.64) at the 3-months assessment, representing medium to large effects. PTSD severity also decreased from 57.20 (SD = 16.72) at baseline to 48.90 (SD = 18.99) at the 1-month assessment, representing a small effect. Though effect sizes from pilot trials should be interpreted with caution, findings suggest that this intervention was well-received, feasible to deliver, and may have resulted in improvements in intervention targets.

Serum Ferritin Is Associated With Elevated ALT Among People Living With HIV and HIV-Seronegative Individuals in the Miami Adult Studies on HIV Cohort

ObjectivesIt has been shown that people living with HIV (PLWH) are vulnerable to liver inflammation and damage. Elevated serum ferritin has been associated with higher incidence of liver damage. This study examined the relationship between serum ferritin levels and liver damage in PLWH.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis of data from participants in the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort. Informed consent, demographics, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) for hazardous drinking (≥8), and fasting blood samples were collected by trained personnel. HIV status, HIV Viral Load (VL, copies/ml) was abstracted from medical charts with the participants’ consent. LabCorp (Burlington, NC) determined serum ferritin and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Opioid use was analyzed by urinalysis (American Bio Medica Corp; Kinderhook, NY). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 26 and included T-test, linear and logistic regression. Elevated serum ferritin levels were defined as ≥150 ng/mL and elevated ALT as ≥5 IU/L.ResultsParticipants’ mean age was 54.6 ± 7.9 years (n = 1,026), 57.9% were male, and 61.2% wereBack; 46.8% were PLWH, 90.9% had an undetectable viral load. Males had significantly higher ALT (29.6 ± 36.2 vs. 20.8 ± 16.4 IU/L) and serum ferritin (156.1 ± 223.0 vs. 98.7 ± 114.9 ng/mL) than females (P < 0.001). Ferritin (148.3 ± 203.3 vs. 117.5 ± 171.1 ng/mL; P = 0.009), but not ALT (25.6 ± 32.078 vs. 26.1 ± 27.7 IU/L; P > 0.05), was significantly higher in PLWH than HIV-uninfected participants. In a linear model, elevated ALT was positively associated with higher serum ferritin levels after adjusting for sex, age, HIV status, and opioid use (β = 163.75 SE = 14.579, p = 0.001). Individuals with elevated ALT had 4.55 greater odds of having elevated ferritin levels (CI: 3.203–6.460, P < 0.001) after adjusting for age, sex and opioid use.ConclusionsAlanine aminotransferase seems to be a good predictor of serum ferritin levels in PLWH. Elevated levels of ferritin have been associated with liver inflammation, chronic kidney disease, acute infections, and therefore deleterious health consequences in PLWH that warrant further examination.Funding SourcesNational Institute on Drug Abuse.

0005 Bidirectional associations of sleep and alcohol use within and between regularly drinking young adults

Abstract Introduction Young adults can be resistant to drinking interventions, but improving other health behaviors, such as sleep, may indirectly reduce hazardous drinking. Evidence linking sleep to next-day drinking among regular drinkers could support sleep interventions as an indirect pathway to alcohol misuse reduction. We investigate this connection in the natural environments of 222 regularly drinking young adults. Methods Regularly drinking young adults (21-29 years; 63% women) wore an alcohol monitor across six days that continuously measured transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC). Participants completed daily smartphone-based surveys reporting the previous night number of drinks and sleep. Predictors were disaggregated into within- and between-person variables. Sleep variables were used to predict next-day alcohol use, and alcohol use variables were used to predict subsequent sleep. Multilevel Poisson and linear models with random intercepts for each outcome were adjusted for weekends, sex, weight, and prior night sleep/drinking. Results Between-person results showed that participants who tended to go to bed later had on average 24% more drinks (p&amp;lt;0.01) and achieved 26% higher peak TAC (p&amp;lt;0.02) the next day. Every hour of sleep duration the prior night was associated with a 14% decrease in the number of next-day drinks (p&amp;lt;0.03). Conversely, participants who drank more went to bed on average 12-19 minutes later (p&amp;lt;0.01) and slept 5 fewer minutes (p&amp;lt;0.01). Within-person results showed that on nights when participants drank more than usual they went to bed 8-13 minutes later (p&amp;lt;0.01), slept 2-4 fewer minutes (p&amp;lt;0.03), and had worse sleep quality (p&amp;lt;0.01). Conclusion Young adults who went to bed earlier and slept longer on average tended to use alcohol less the next day, and using less alcohol tended to improve subsequent sleep within young adults. Taken together, these results suggest that better sleep health may improve drinking behaviors and intoxication dynamics, which may have implications for interventions targeting sleep as a mechanism to reduce heavy drinking. Support (If Any) David Reichenberger was supported by the Prevention and Methodology Training Program (T32 DA017629) with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This research was funded by departmental funds and a pilot mentoring and professional development award through P50DA039838 (NIDA), both awarded to Michael Russell.

Contrasting a Mobile App With a Conversational Chatbot for Reducing Alcohol Consumption: Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

BackgroundMobile apps have shown considerable promise for reducing alcohol consumption among problem drinkers, but like many mobile health apps, they frequently report low utilization, which is an important limitation, as research suggests that effectiveness is related to higher utilization. Interactive chatbots have the ability to provide a conversational interface with users and may be more engaging and result in higher utilization and effectiveness, but there is limited research into this possibility.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a chatbot alcohol intervention based on an empirically supported app (Step Away) for reducing drinking and to conduct a pilot trial of the 2 interventions. Included participants met the criteria for hazardous drinking and were interested in reducing alcohol consumption. The study assessed utilization patterns and alcohol outcomes across the 2 technology conditions, and a waitlist control group.MethodsParticipants were recruited using Facebook advertisements. Those who met the criteria for hazardous consumption and expressed an interest in changing their drinking habits were randomly assigned to three conditions: the Step Away app, Step Away chatbot, and waitlist control condition. Participants were assessed on the web using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Adapted for Use in the United States, Readiness to Change Questionnaire, Short Inventory of Problems-Revised, and Timeline Followback at baseline and at 12 weeks follow-up.ResultsA total of 150 participants who completed the baseline and follow-up assessments were included in the final analysis. ANOVA results indicated that participants in the 3 conditions changed their drinking from baseline to follow-up, with large effect sizes noted (ie, η2=0.34 for change in drinks per day across conditions). However, the differences between groups were not significant across the alcohol outcome variables. The only significant difference between conditions was in the readiness to change variable, with the bot group showing the greatest improvement in readiness (F2,147=5.6; P=.004; η2=0.07). The results suggested that the app group used the app for a longer duration (mean 50.71, SD 49.02 days) than the bot group (mean 27.16, SD 30.54 days; P=.02). Use of the interventions was shown to predict reduced drinking in a multiple regression analysis (β=.25, 95% CI 0.00-0.01; P=.04).ConclusionsResults indicated that all groups in this study reduced their drinking considerably from baseline to the 12-week follow-up, but no differences were found in the alcohol outcome variables between the groups, possibly because of a combination of small sample size and methodological issues. The app group reported greater use and slightly higher usability scores than the bot group, but the bot group demonstrated improved readiness to change scores over the app group. The strengths and limitations of the app and bot interventions as well as directions for future research are discussed.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04447794; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04447794

Gender self-concept and hazardous drinking among sexual minority women: Results from the Chicago health and life experiences of women (CHLEW) study

ObjectiveSexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbian, bisexual) report substantially higher rates of hazardous drinking (HD) than heterosexual women.Yet, few studies have examined sub-group differences. In this study, we investigated the relationship between gender self-concept and HD among SMW. Research consistently shows a link between heavier drinking and masculinity. SMW are more likely than heterosexual women to be gender nonconforming, and masculinity among SMW is associated with increased minority stress, a key HD risk factor. MethodsWe used Wave 3 data from the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study, a longitudinal study of SMW (N = 598), which assessed participants’ self-perceived levels of masculinity and femininity and their perception of how masculine/feminine others viewed them. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the association between gender self-concept and past 12-month heavy episodic drinking (HED), drinking-related problems, and alcohol dependence. ResultsControlling for demographics and minority stress, greater masculinity (both self-perceived and perceptions by others) was associated with higher odds of HED and alcohol dependence. Masculinity as perceived by others was associated with higher odds of drinking-related problems. Neither femininity measure was associated with HD. Additionally, minority stress (i.e., discrimination, stigma, internalized stigma) did not account for the relationship between gender self-concept and HD. Conclusions/ImportanceIn this sample, masculinity, particularly SMW’s beliefs that others viewed them as masculine, was associated with HD. This association was not attributable to differences in minority stress and may be related to differences in gendered drinking norms, which could be targeted in intervention studies.

Drug use over time among never-deployed US Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers: The longitudinal effects of non-deployment emotions and sex.

Some US military service members who have never been deployed experience negative emotions related to never having been deployed, and some work shows these non-deployment emotions (NDE) are cross-sectionally associated with hazardous drinking for male, but not female, US Army Reserve/National Guard (USAR/NG) soldiers. However, it is not known if these effects extend to drug use or persist longitudinally, which is the focus of the current study. We conducted a longitudinal residual change analysis of a subset of data (N=182 never-deployed soldiers) from Operation: SAFETY, an ongoing survey-based study of USAR/NG soldiers recruited from units across New York State. Outcome measures included current tobacco use, non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD), current cannabis use, and other current illicit drug use (excluding cannabis) at four time points over a 3-year period. Results from bootstrapped residual change generalized estimating equation (GEE) models show that more negative NDE were longitudinally associated with a greater likelihood of current NMUPD among male, but not female, soldiers (p<0.05). NDE were not longitudinally associated with current tobacco use, cannabis use, or other illicit drug use among male or female soldiers (ps>0.05). NDE may contribute to ongoing NMUPD among male USAR/NG soldiers who have never been deployed. Never-deployed soldiers, especially those with negative emotions related to never having been deployed, should not be overlooked in military screening and intervention efforts.

Predicting Hazardous Alcohol Drinking Behaviors in Family Members of Hazardous Alcohol-Drinker Patients.

Family members of hazardous or harmful alcohol drinkers suffer many consequences of their relative’s alcohol-drinking behaviors and risk developing their own hazardous alcohol drinking behaviors. Studies of alcohol-related healthcare problems have mainly focused on patients, with few studies on their family members. This cross-sectional study explored factors predicting hazardous alcohol drinking behaviors in family members of hazardous alcohol-drinker patients. Participants were recruited from four randomly chosen hospitals in Taiwan. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires on family members’ alcohol use, perceived stress, coping mechanisms, social support, health, quality of life, protective factors against hazardous alcohol drinking, facilitative factors for hazardous alcohol drinking, and demographics. The 318 family members who participated in this study were divided by their Chinese-version Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores into two groups: hazardous alcohol drinkers (score ≥ 8) and non-hazardous alcohol drinkers (score < 8). Significant factors predicting hazardous alcohol drinking behaviors were found by logistic regression to be the frequency of using general coping mechanisms (OR = 1.29, p < 0.01), the frequency of using strategies to cope with patients’ drinking-related behaviors (OR = 0.89, p < 0.01), factors protecting against hazardous alcohol drinking (OR = 0.76, p < 0.01) and factors facilitating hazardous alcohol drinking (OR = 1.52, p < 0.01). Interventions should be designed for family members of hazardous alcohol drinkers to address these four significant predictors.

Proximity to Alcohol Sellers and Dose Response Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption With Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Southwestern Uganda.

Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with several adverse public health outcomes and alcohol use is one of its risk factors. Proximity to alcohol selling points could be linked with problem drinking and IPV. We aimed to determine whether proximal location to alcohol and intensity of alcohol consumption are associated with IPV in rural southwest Uganda.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in rural southwest Uganda with structured interviews at household level. We used the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) and the Conflict Tactics Scale to measure past year alcohol consumption and IPV (perpetration and victimization). We estimated Euclidean distances between participants' households and nearest alcohol outlets using geographic information systems. We used generalized estimating equation models to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for the factors associated with IPV.Results: We enrolled 742 participants and median age was 41years (inter-quartile range or IQR 32-53) and 52.2% of respondents were male. The overall prevalence of IPV in the past year was 52.2%. In a multivariable regression model, women (aOR = 2.24, 95%CI 1.28, 3.91) compared to men, those living proximal to an alcohol selling point (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.38, 2.27) were more likely to experience IPV. There was a dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and IPV. With non-drinkers as the reference category, the aORs were 4.54 (95% CI 2.04, 10.08) for casual drinkers, 10.53 (95% CI 4.15, 26.77) for hazardous drinkers and 15.31 (95% CI 4.73, 49.54) for alcohol dependent drinkers.Conclusion: IPV is very common and has a dose-response relationship with alcohol consumption and drinking outlet proximity. There is an urgent need for IPV and alcohol interventions programs in these rural communities. Policy to restrict proximity of alcohol outlets to residential locations should be examined as an intervention for alcohol consumption and IPV perpetration.

Maturing Out: Between- and Within-Persons Changes in Social-Network Drinking, Drinking Identity, and Hazardous Drinking Following College Graduation.

Many college students reduce hazardous drinking (HD) following graduation without treatment. Identifying cognitive mechanisms facilitating this "natural" reduction in HD during this transition is crucial. We evaluated drinking identity as a potential mechanism and tested whether within-person changes in one's social network's drinking were linked to within-person changes in drinking identity and subsequent within-person changes in HD. A sample of 422 undergraduates reporting HD was followed from six months before until two years after graduation. Their drinking, drinking identity, and social networks were assessed online. Within-person changes in drinking identity did not mediate the relationship between within-person changes in social network drinking and personal HD, though significant positive between-person associations among all constructs were found. Instead, there was some evidence that within-person changes in drinking identity followed changes in HD, suggesting that drinking identity may function as a marker versus mechanism of "natural" HD reduction during transition out of college.

Factors Associated with Simultaneous or Concurrent Use of Alcohol and Marijuana in Argentina

Background: The identification of factors promoting simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use is important to promote early intervention efforts. The associations between impulsivity facets and SAM (or concurrent alcohol and marijuana, CAM) use have been analyzed in North American samples. These topics, however, remain unexplored in South American samples. This study assessed if internalizing symptoms, five impulsivity dimensions, and emotional regulation strategies differentiate between participants who reported last 2-month SAM use, CAM use, alcohol, or marijuana only use, or that reported no substance use. Methods: A sample of 1057 Argentinian citizens answered an online survey. A multinominal logistic regression was conducted on drug use membership. Results: Circa 25% of the sample reported SAM use. Higher sensation seeking differentiated between SAM use versus no substance use, and those with lower sensation seeking were more likely to be classified into the alcohol-only group or into the nonuse group, than into the SAM use group. Stress scores uniquely predicted membership into the alcohol-only category. Those with lower use of emotional suppression were more likely than nonusers to be classified in all drug use categories, except CAM use. Higher emotional suppression scores were associated with membership into the nonuse group or the alcohol-only group, when compared to the SAM use group. Hazardous drinking was significantly greater in SAM than in alcohol-only users. Conclusions: The study highlights the relevance of sensation seeking as a predictor of SAM use and pinpoints emotional suppression as common factor modulating hazardous drug use behaviors.

Experiences of a therapist-guided internet-delivered intervention for hazardous and harmful drinking. A qualitative study

BackgroundAlcohol is the third leading risk factor for burden of disease in the world, causing significant health damage to the individual as well as costs to the surroundings and society as whole. Internet-delivered psychological interventions may help the individual to address alcohol consumption at an early stage before it develops into more serious problems. There is a need to investigate how participants experience internet-delivered interventions for hazardous and harmful drinking to optimize its usefulness in the target population. MethodsThe present study was part of an open pre-post pilot trial to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a therapist-guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioural intervention for hazardous and harmful alcohol use. The aim was to investigate participants` experiences of the intervention and the ways in which the intervention helped them to address their alcohol consumption. Fifteen participants were selected from the open pre-post trial (n = 32), and semi-structured interviews were conducted immediately after participants had completed the treatment. The interviews were analysed using Thematic Analysis. ResultsThe results indicate that most of the participants found the intervention to be useful. Participants reported that the intervention made them more aware of the consequences of excessive drinking and gave them tools to cope with their alcohol consumption. Among the perceived advantages were the flexibility and anonymity of the intervention and therapist support. Participants called for more individualisation of the treatment to meet individual needs. ConclusionsA therapist-guided internet-delivered intervention for hazardous and harmful drinking can help individuals to address their alcohol consumption and give them tools to cope with their drinking. Future studies should examine the feasibility of tailoring modules to individual needs.

Effectiveness of brief counselling in a hospital setting for smoking cessation and risky alcohol drinking reduction: randomised clinical trial protocol

IntroductionChronic diseases are a public health problem, and 80% of them are related to modifiable risk factors such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking, and risky alcohol consumption. Although the intervention in smoking and hazardous alcohol drinking has proven to be effective in Primary Care, it is unknown whether it works in the same way in the hospital setting. ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of brief counselling in order to modify the stage of change in smokers and at-risk drinkers treated in a high complexity hospital. MethodsA Randomised controlled trial to be conducted, in which an evaluation is made of four brief counselling strategies for smoking cessation and risky alcohol consumption compared to usual care, selected according to the patient’s stage of change. The primary result will be the proportion of patients in each of the groups (intervention and control) with identified progress in the stage of change. The reduction of consumption will be also be analysed. Protocol registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03521622). ResultsThe results will be published in scientific journals, and its application aims to generate behavioural intervention protocols for modifiable risk factors in high complexity hospitals. The trial was presented and approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Hospital Universitario de San Ignacio, Bogota, Colombia (Approval 01/2018).

Characterizing Problematic Drug Use Among Transgender Women and Cisgender Men During the Emerging HIV Crisis in the Philippines: Implications for Policy Research.

Drug use and HIV are key issues for public health interventions in the Philippines. We examined associations of problematic drug use among 320 Filipinx transgender women (trans-WSM) and cisgender men who have sex with men (cis-MSM). The prevalence of exhibited problematic drug use in this sample was 29.38%. Greater odds of problematic drug use were observed among Filipinx participants who recently engaged in sex work (adjusted OR [aOR] = 2.79, 95% CI [1.08, 7.18]), reported having HIV positive and unknown status vs. negative status (aOR = 3.61, 95% CI [1.39, 9.39], and aOR = 13.99, 95% CI [2.04, 29.69], respectively), exhibited low HIV knowledge (aOR = 4.15, 95% CI [1.82, 9.44]), and displayed hazardous drinking (aOR = 2.77, 95% CI [1.21, 6.33]). Given its correlates of HIV-related indicators, integration of HIV and harm reduction services as a public health intervention could potentially decrease problematic drug use.

Correlation between Criminal Proceedings and Clinical Symptoms of PTSD Patients: Increase in Hazardous Drinking

Introduction: Criminal proceedings have been known as stressors for PTSD patients as well as provoking re-experience of trauma, which can worsen clinical symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between criminal proceedings and the psychiatric symptoms in Korean PTSD patients. Methods: From March 2019 to November 2020, 63 PTSD patients at University Hospital were enrolled in this study. Among them, 11 patients were involved in the process of criminal proceedings. All patients were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), PTSD checklist-5 (PCL- 5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Korea Version of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-K) and, the P4 Suicidality Screener (P4). Results: PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and hazardous drinking were higher in the group of criminal proceedings. There was no significant difference in suicidal idea between the two groups. Involving criminal proceedings of PTSD patients was significantly related to hazardous drinking, and the results were significant even after controlling the severity of PTSD symptoms. Conclusion : The criminal proceedings were associated with the worsening of clinical symptoms in PTSD patients and had an independent effect on hazardous drinking. Our results suggest that interventions and social support for effective coping strategies for the trauma survivor involved in criminal proceedings are needed.

Alcohol and drug use among bartenders: An at risk population?

IntroductionThe current study explored the prevalence of hazardous alcohol and drug consumption within bartenders and the impact of working more than 40 h a week on levels of alcohol and drug use. MethodsThree hundred and ninety bartenders (247 females), recruited via social media, took part in a cross-sectional online survey. The study recorded units of alcohol and hours worked per week among participants. The team measured hazardous drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and drug use by the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST). ResultsAccording to AUDIT scores, 39% of participants were classed as having harmful alcohol consumption and 43.6% reported moderate/severe alcohol use that might indicate alcohol dependence. According to DAST scores, 21.8% of participants were classed as intermediate risk, 6.5% as substantial risk, and 0.5% as severe risk for drug use problems.Male bartenders reported drinking significantly more units of alcohol per week and scored significantly higher on the AUDIT compared to females. Bartenders aged 26–30 and 31–40 reported drinking significantly more alcohol per week than bartenders aged 18–25. Additionally, bartenders aged 26–30 scored significantly higher on the AUDIT than ages 41–55.A high workload (more than 40 h per week) had a significant effect on units of alcohol drunk per week. ConclusionThis research indicates that hazardous alcohol and drug use is highly prevalent among this sample of bartenders. Working more than 40 h a week increases the amount of alcohol consumed, with males reporting higher use of alcohol and more problematic use than females. Additionally, those aged between 26 and 30 and 31 and 40 reported higher and more problematic use of alcohol compared to those in other age groups. These findings are important for public health because they describe a population that may be at risk of developing alcohol and substance use problems, and highlight the importance of adopting the brief, preventative interventions that we have suggested. Further research must help us to better understand the risk factors and causality involved in hazardous alcohol and drug use among bartenders.

Development of a Telephone-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for People Living with HIV who are Hazardous Drinkers.

Alcohol use among people living with HIV (PWH) has been increasingly recognized as an important component of HIV care. Transdiagnostic treatments, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), that target core processes common to multiple mental health and substance-related problems, may be ideal in HIV treatment settings where psychological and behavioral health comorbidities are high. In advance of a randomized clinical trial (RCT), the overall objective of this study was to systematically adapt an ACT-based intervention originally developed for smoking cessation, into an ACT intervention for PWH who drink at hazardous levels. Consistent with the ADAPT-ITT model, the adaptation progressed systematically in several phases, which included structured team meetings, three focus group discussions with PWH (N = 13), and in-depth interviews with HIV providers (N = 10), and development of standardized operating procedures for interventionist training, supervision, and eventual RCT implementation. The procedures described here offer a template for transparent reporting on early phase behavioral RCTs.

The effects of protective behavioral strategies on heavy drinking following a pure motivational interviewing intervention

ABSTRACT Background: Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are cognitive-behavioral strategies that students use to prevent risky drinking. Prior work supports PBS as a mechanism of change following a brief motivational intervention (BMI) among college students. This study investigated the necessity of discussing PBS by examining changes in PBS use and drinking following an alcohol intervention that used the parent method of Motivational Interviewing (MI), or Pure MI. Methods: Data came from a pilot study that looked at the effects of Pure MI that targeted risky social drinking behavior. The study comprised 42 college students who endorsed hazardous drinking in the last 2 weeks and social anxiety symptoms. Participants completed measures of safe and heavy drinking behaviors at baseline and one-month follow-up. Results: The results showed that PBS use increased from baseline to one-month follow-up. Further, the reduction in heavy drinking in social situations was partially explained by an increase in PBS use from pre- to post-intervention. Conclusions: Despite not introducing PBS into discussions during the MI intervention, we found that students who used more PBS reported reduced heavy drinking in social situations. Implications from the study suggest that interventions focused on student motivation rather than knowledge can promote safe and reduce hazardous drinking behaviors.

181. Testing the Feasibility of Delivering a Validated, Web-based Alcohol Intervention to Community College Students Based on Social Media Alcohol References

Community college (CC) students are at risk of hazardous drinking. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Web-BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students), a validated, online alcohol intervention, among college students. Gaps remain in identifying community college students with hazardous drinking and delivering interventions. This study tested the feasibility of delivering Web-BASICS to community college students based on displayed alcohol references on Facebook and Instagram.