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Alcohol intoxication in the context of major public holidays, sporting and social events: a time–series analysis in M elbourne, A ustralia, 2000–2009
Author(s) -
Lloyd Belinda,
Matthews Sharon,
Livingston Michael,
Jayasekara Harindra,
Smith Karen
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.12041
Subject(s) - alcohol intoxication , medicine , context (archaeology) , emergency department , injury prevention , poison control , population , names of the days of the week , mass gathering , emergency medicine , medical emergency , public health , psychiatry , environmental health , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , nursing , biology
Aims To assess the relationship between ambulance attendances, emergency department ( ED ) presentations and hospital admissions for acute alcohol intoxication and the timing of public holidays, sporting and social events. Design Time–series analysis was used to explore trends in intoxication in the context of major events. Setting Population of M elbourne, V ictoria, A ustralia between 2000 and 2009. Participants All patients attended by ambulance, presenting to hospital EDs , or admitted to hospital who were classified as acutely alcohol intoxicated. Measurement Analysis of daily numbers of presentations for acute alcohol intoxication associated with major events were undertaken, including lead and lag effects. Analyses controlled for day of week and month of year to address temporal and seasonal variations. Findings Alcohol intoxication presentations were significantly elevated the day before all public holidays, with intoxication cases on the day of public holidays only higher on N ew Y ear's D ay (ambulance 6.57, 95% confidence intervals ( CI ): 3.4–9.74; ED 3.34, 95% CI: 1.28–5.4) and ANZAC D ay (ambulance 3.71, 95% CI: 0.68–6.75). The A ustralian F ootball L eague ( AFL ) G rand F inal ( ED 2.37, 95% CI: 0.55–4.19), C ommonwealth G ames ( ED 2.45, 95% CI: 0.6–4.3) and M elbourne C up D ay (ambulance 6.14, 95% CI: 2.42–9.85) represented the sporting events with significant elevations in acute intoxication requiring medical attention. The last working day before C hristmas was the only social event where a significant increase in acute intoxication occurred (ambulance 8.98, 95% CI: 6.8–11.15). Conclusions Acute alcohol intoxication cases requiring ambulance, emergency department and hospital in‐patient treatment increase substantially on the day preceding public holidays and other major social events.