'Pre-Drinks': The Possible Dangers of a Growing Cultural Phenomenon

Preloading with alcohol, or ‘pre-drinking’, before a night out is becoming more and more common. New research carried out in a night-life district in Queensland, Australia, has looked to gauge the extent of ‘pre-drinking’. The study reports almost 80% of people asked consumed alcohol prior to going out, with around 70% registering high blood-alcohol content before reaching their intended entertainment destination. The study also found little variation between genders. The main justification for ‘pre-drinking’ was “to socialise with friends”.

An increase in blood-alcohol content from ‘pre-drinking’, the research suggests, is associated with greater risk taking and anti-social behaviour, as well as alcohol abuse and dependence. The study argues that moderate to heavy ‘pre-drinking’ is a growing problem and that alcohol use interventions aimed at reducing violence among other such anti-social behaviours ought to consider the role of ‘pre-drinks’ in exacerbating the problem.

Click here to read more in The International Journal of Drug Policy.