Correlates and motives of pre-drinking with intoxication and harm around licensed venues in two cities

Introduction and Aims The study investigates the prevalence of pre‐drinking culture in the night‐time economy (NTE) and its impact upon intoxication and alcohol‐related harm and violence experienced by patrons. Design and Methods Cross‐sectional surveys were conducted in and around licensed venues in Newcastle (NSW) and Geelong (Victoria) during peak trading hours (typically 9pm–1am). Participants completed a five minute structured interview which targeted: demographics, past and planned movements on the survey night, safety/experience of harm, and patron intoxication. 3949 people agreed to be interviewed, a response rate of 90.7%. Around half (54.9%) of interviewees were male and mean age was 24.4 years (SD = 5.8). Results 66.8% of participants reported pre‐drinking prior to attending licensed venues. On a 1–10 scale measuring self‐rated intoxication, pre‐drinkers scored significantly higher compared to non pre‐drinkers (P