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A feasibility study of a licensed premise intervention to reduce alcohol
misuse and violent injury 
Research Team
Dr
Simon Moore, Violence and Society Research
Group, Cardiff University (Principal Investigator)
Dr
Simon Murphy, CISHE, Cardiff University
Dr
Iain Brennan, Violence and Society Research Group, Cardiff University
Ms Ellie Byrne, CISHE, Cardiff University
Professor
Laurence Moore, CISHE, Cardiff University
Professor
Jonathan Shepherd, Violence and Society Research Group, Cardiff
University
Start Date:
September 2008
End Date: September 2010
Funding:
Moore
S, Murphy
S, Moore
L, Shepherd
J. A feasibility study of a licensed premise intervention to reduce
alcohol misuse and violent injury. Medical Research Council. £331,891.
Overview
The health and economic costs of alcohol misuse in the UK are estimated
to be between 2% and 5% of UK gross domestic product and reflect sexual
health outcomes, injury, stroke and cancer as well as lost productivity
and absenteeism in the workplace. Evidence suggests that interventions
targeted at licensed premises which address known risk factors (e.g.
serving alcohol to intoxicated customers, irresponsible alcohol promotions,
deficits in server training) can be effective in reducing the health
costs associated with alcohol misuse.
The Study
This project assesses the feasibility
of a premises-level intervention designed to reduce alcohol misuse,
and outcomes of misuse including disorder and violent injury. Experts
in auditing the licensed trade and researchers will work with licensees
to address shortcomings. The key intervention component involves feedback:
experimental premises will receive feedback and be subject to action
plans whereas control premises will not. Although the means of identifying
shortcomings in premises management has been used across England and
Wales and interventions which raise standards appear to have reduced
disorder according to various police and health indicators (usually
injury measures) this process has not been evaluated using a randomised
controlled trial.
This feasibility study will pilot the intervention using a RCT design
to provide effect sizes, something which has not been done before in
England and Wales. This study will pilot a breathalyser survey to measure
the prevalence of alcohol intoxication in drinkers and will utilise
police and accident and emergency data to measure the incidence and
prevalence of violence and alcohol problems. A process evaluation will
involve interviewing staff within the licensed trade both in intervention
premises and senior staff in large licensed premise chains to determine
barriers, fidelity of the intervention, acceptability and sustainability.
Premises level interventions which reduce misuse are strategically relevant
to a range of partnership activities, policy initiatives and funding
streams across health and criminal justice. However, Primary Care Trusts
and other agencies are required to develop plans which are evidence
based. The proposed feasibility study begins to address the deficit
in evidence for such interventions to inform a future definitive trial.
Study Progress
Ethical
approval has been obtained for the research and recruitment of premises
is almost complete. Audits for all premises are due to commence in April
2009, with premises in the experiment group receiving their action plans
a week later. The process evaluation is underway and several interviews
have been completed with key stakeholders.
Contact
Dr Simon Moore - mooresc2@cardiff.ac.uk
Links
Project information on Violence
and Society Research group webpage
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