Young adults in Melbourne talking about their ideal state of intoxication

Sarah MacLean1&2 1 Centre for Heath Equity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2 Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Attitudes towards intoxication

Social Research Centre (2010). 2009 Victorian Youth Alcohol and Drug Survey Final Report. Melbourne, Victorian Drug and Alcohol Prevention Council.

Ideal state of intoxication

•  Maybe a bit more relaxed, a bit freer, a bit – I would say just more, … more relaxed and excitable (Scarlett, 23, female).

•  I’m one of the kind of person that don’t actually

like to get really drunk, just because I like to have conversations with people… it’s my relaxing time, now I don’t have to worry about uni, I don’t have to worry about working, I’m just gonna… have a laugh with my friends, tell silly stories and have a few drinks (Elke, 24, female, high risk drinker).

Ideal state of intoxication

•  I’m more social when I have a bit of a drink. Even if it’s not like a big, big drink. So either way I’m still gonna feel it, so I’ll be happy. I don’t really need that big drink (Susana, 24, female, high risk drinker)

•  I don’t like it [being drunk], especially, there’s no

self control. When I’m tipsy there is self control, I’m just, I’m just more open to things more, more friendly, more hyper… I just drink for that tipsy stage (Arif, male, 21, high risk drinker).

But very few counted standard drinks

•  I never count how many drinks I have. I never think okay I’ve had 16 standard drinks that’s my limit because there’s other things that affect it as well. I can sort of feel that ‘Okay if I have another… like if I drink a shot I’m not gonna feel good afterwards, I’m gonna be drunk, a little bit drunk and then I’m gonna be throwing up’, or something like that. And so I think after a few years of drinking I’ve learnt when that point is. It’s still hard to define exactly (Ryan, 23, male, high risk drinker).

Most people monitored how they were feeling to assess how drunk they were

•  I get head spins and then like I feel like I’m gonna throw up. But I don’t throw up then, I just stop [drinking] (Kara, 19, female, high risk drinker).

•  I can sort of just see if I’m starting to feel a bit more tired. And then I’m like ‘Nah there’s no point’. I’m not really enjoying [drinking] anymore so …that’s it (Dragan, 22 male, HRD).

•  Sometimes the taste, the taste kind of gets to me … The taste starts tasting a bit funny for me. So yeah, I go ‘Oh shit, I’ve drunk too much now’ (Paul, 23 male).

Small proportion of people never feel that they’ve had too much alcohol

•  I start drinking you know cos it’s good, it feels good, you know. It feels right, everyone’s drinking having a good time. Then when I feel like I’m pissed, probably after like about 12 cans, 13 cans, I get like anxiety. I just start to feel pissed so I drink more. And I feel better. (Andy, 18 male, high risk drinker)

•  With alcohol for some reason you just keep drinking and drinking and drinking and you don’t realise until you’re conked out. (Yusef, 20, male, high risk drinker)

How do we support people to moderate their drinking?

•  Education advising people to wait half an hour until their last drink is absorbed;

•  We need various responses directed at different types of drinkers;

•  Restrictions on availability remain critical for those who find it hard to regulate drinking.

Zajdow, G & MacLean, S (in press) ‘I just drink for that tipsy stage’: Young adults and embodied management of alcohol use. Contemporary Drug Problems.

Thanks to

•  Mutsumi Karasaki and Christine Siokou for conducting some of the project interviews

•  Robin Room and David Moore •  Funding from the Australian Research Council for

ARC Linkage grant (LP 100100017), VicHealth and the Victorian Department of Health

•  Other project partners: the National Drug Research Institute, Hume City Council, Yarra City Council and the Municipal Association of Victoria.