Rethinking drinking: local intervention for 16 to 18 year olds

For young people today there is an increasing emphasis on binge drinking compared to drinking cultures of earlier generations, it is becoming an increasing social norm [1]. There are personal and societal consequences to this... [ view full abstract ]

For young people today there is an increasing emphasis on binge drinking compared to drinking cultures of earlier generations, it is becoming an increasing social norm [1]. There are personal and societal consequences to this social phenomenon:
• Around 1 in 10 boys and 1 in 8 girls aged 15 to 16 years have had unsafe sex after drinking alcohol (2014) [2]
• There are more than 10,000 annual fines issued to 16 to 19 year olds for being drunk and disorderly (2014) [2]
• In Southampton (2015) there were 4460 (per100, 000) alcohol related hospital admissions, an increase of 53% from 2009 [3]
• UK alcohol-related hospital admissions for 15 to 24 year olds have increased at their fastest rates, 57% for males and 76% for females (2002-2012) [4]
• Early onset of binge drinking is linked to a continuation of alcohol use in a dose dependent manner [5], it is also related to a marked increase in liver disease for 25 to 34 year olds [6].

This PhD research aims to identify and implement a cost effective and sustainable intervention that will address harmful drinking for 16 to 18 year olds in Southampton and explore the social norms that reinforce hazardous drinking for young people.

A Realist Evaluation approach [7] will be employed, which will describe the intervention in terms of “what works, how, why, for whom, to what extent, in what circumstances” [8]. A Programme Theory will be developed from the Realist Evaluation, which will explain how the intervention can contribute to a chain of results (mechanisms) to produce intended outcome(s) and the conditions it should do so. This will contribute knowledge of intervention outcomes at local level, which can inform local and national policy.

References
1. Brown & Gregg, 2012; Bulmer et al., 2016; Griffin et al. 2009; Harrison et al. 2011; Measham & Brain, 2005
2. NI Direct Government Services, 2014, Young People and Alcohol: What Are The Risks?.
3. Public Health England. LAPE data Q1_2009-10 to Q3_2015-16_Broad. [viewed 10 May 2016]. Available from http://www.lape.org.uk/data.html
4. Alcohol concern. “Alcohol Harm Map” [viewed 20 February 2016]. Available from http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/training/alcohol-harm-map/
5. Boden, J.M. and Fergusson, D.M., 2011. The short and long term consequences of adolescent alcohol use. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp.32-46.
6. Thomson, S. J., Westlake S., Tony,. Majeed, A. F., & Kang, J. Y., 2014. Chronic liver disease--an increasing problem.
7. Pawson, R., and Tilley, N., 1997. Realistic evaluation. London: Sage; 1997.
8. Wong, G., Greenhalgh, T., Westhorp, G., Buckingham, J., & Pawson, R., 2013. RAMESES publication standards: Meta-narrative reviews. BMC Medicine, 11(1), 1-15.