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Introduction: The past decade has seen a shift towards online purchasing and home delivery of alcohol, with this trend accelerated due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, research in this area is limited. This study aims to explore how and why people use online alcohol delivery services. Methods: Semi‐structured qualitative interviews (mean = 12.5 min; range = 7–19.5 min) with a convenience sample of 40 Australians ≥18 years who purchase alcohol online for delivery at least once per month. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse and report the data. Results: Three themes were generated. (i) The convenience is a 'double‐edged sword': almost all participants expressed that they use alcohol delivery services because they reduce difficulty in obtaining alcohol by saving time or energy/effort; however, for some this could lead them to purchase and consume more alcohol than they otherwise would have. (ii) Cost savings motivate online purchases: some participants expressed that they could access alcohol more cheaply online than in‐store due to promotions, cost‐comparisons and the ability to shop at low‐cost outlets. (iii) Initiating or increasing use during the COVID‐19 pandemic: for some people continued or increased use had been maintained as they had grown accustomed to the convenience or changed shopping habits. Discussion and Conclusion: Participants purchased alcohol online for home delivery primarily for convenience; however, for some the convenience could lead them to purchase and consume more alcohol than they otherwise would have. Targeted improvements to the regulation of these services are needed to minimise the risks they may pose for alcohol harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Online alcohol purchasing and home delivery has increased in recent years, accelerated by the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This article aims to investigate the purchasing and drinking behaviour of Australians who use online alcohol delivery services. Method: A cross‐sectional self‐report survey with a convenience sample of 1158 Australians ≥18 years (49.3% female) who used an online alcohol delivery service in the past 3 months, recruited through paid social media advertisements from September to November 2021. Quota sampling was used to obtain a sample with age and gender strata proportional to the Australian adult population. Descriptive statistics were generated and logistic regression used to explore variables that predict hazardous/harmful drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥8). Results: One‐in‐five (20.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 17.8–22.5) participants had used an alcohol delivery service to extend a home drinking session because they had run out of alcohol and wanted to continue drinking and, of these, one‐third (33.9%, 95% CI 27.9–40.4) indicated that if the service was not available they would have stopped drinking. Using delivery services in this way was associated with six times higher odds of drinking at hazardous/harmful levels (odds ratio 6.26, 95% CI 3.78–10.36). Participants ≤25 years were significantly more likely to report never having their identification verified when receiving their alcohol delivery at the door compared with purchasing takeaway alcohol in‐person at a bottle shop (p < 0.001, McNemar). Discussion and Conclusion: Given the risks associated with alcohol delivery, regulation of these services should be improved to meet the same standards as bricks‐and‐mortar bottle shops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Risky alcohol consumption is linked to poor health and criminal justice outcomes. This study aims to assess the prevalence and correlates of risky drinking in a sample of recently incarcerated Australians. Design and Methods: Consecutive cross‐sectional data were collected from prisoners residing in 19 correctional facilities in six Australian states and territories as part of the National Prison Entrants' Bloodborne Virus and Risk Behaviour Survey Report. The sample consisted of 389 prisoners (339 men, 50 women). Risky alcohol consumption was estimated using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test‐Condensed questionnaire, with a cut‐off score of ≥6. Potential correlates of risky alcohol consumption were assessed utilising univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Over one‐third (34.5%) of prisoners who were screened met the criteria for risky alcohol consumption. The five factors found to be independently and positively associated with risky alcohol consumption were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) status, incarceration in prison in the Northern Territory, heavy tobacco use, cannabis use and abstinence from drugs in the 4 weeks prior to incarceration. Additionally, risky alcohol consumption was associated with current or past hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection. Discussion and Conclusions: The findings highlight that risky alcohol consumption is common among prisoners across Australia. This is known to be associated with adverse health outcomes and re‐offending, suggesting a need for alcohol interventions targeting prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: alcohol; policy; delivery; COVID; online EN alcohol policy delivery COVID online 435 440 6 07/15/20 20200701 NES 200701 The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on every aspect of our lives, including the way we drink alcohol. Risks associated with online alcohol sales and delivery With online sales and home delivery likely to continue to make up a considerable portion of the alcohol market in Australia for at least the next 3-6 months, it is worth considering the specific issues associated with this mode of alcohol supply. In a recent survey, one in five on-demand alcohol delivery service users reported that their motivation for using the service was because they were over the blood alcohol limit to drive, and 36% said that they would have had to stop drinking alcohol if the delivery service was not available [26]. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction and Aims: Online alcohol sales have experienced rapid growth in Australia in recent years, averaging 14% annual growth over the last 5 years. This study aims to provide information about the advertised sales and delivery practices of online alcohol retailers in Australia and the potential implications for alcohol-related harm.Design and Methods: A cross-sectional website content analysis of the 65 most visited Australian alcohol delivery websites. Data extracted for content analysis from each of the included websites fell under six broad categories: product range; average prices; promotions and discounting; payment and delivery; age verification methods; and policy statements.Results: Online alcohol retailers offer a variety of alcohol products cheaply, with around 20% selling a 750 mL bottle of wine for under AUD$5. Most (81.5%) offered discounts for purchasing greater quantities and (89.2%) offered visitors an opportunity to sign up to receive discounts and promotions directly via email. Concerningly, 13.8% of websites allowed customers to purchase alcohol using a 'buy now, pay later' scheme such as AfterPay or Zip Pay. Delivery in under two hours was available from 12% of retailers. Most retailers (75.4%) advertised a willingness to leave alcohol unattended at an address.Discussion and Conclusions: Online alcohol retailers offer a variety of alcohol products cheaply, accompanied by heavy promotions and discounting. Most retailers advertise a willingness to leave alcohol unattended at an address without having verified the purchasers age, which raises concerns about access to minors. Improved regulation of this growing industry in Australia is required. [Colbert S, Thornton L, Richmond R. Content analysis of websites selling alcohol online in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2020]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, the prevalence of smoking is higher among certain sub-populations compared to the general population. These sub-populations include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as people with mental and substance use disorders and prisoners. The aims of this paper are to: describe the high prevalence of smoking among these particular sub-populations and harms associated with smoking; explore possible reasons for such high prevalence of smoking; review the evidence regarding the efficacy of existing smoking cessation interventions; and make recommendations for smoking interventions and further research among these groups. In addition to low socio-economic status, limited education and other factors, there are social, systems and psychobiological features associated with the high prevalence of smoking in these sub-groups. General population-based approaches to reducing smoking prevalence have been pursued for decades with great success and should be continued with further developments that aim specifically to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and some cultural groups. However, increasing attention, more specific targeting and flexible goals and interventions are also required for these and other distinct sub-populations with high smoking prevalence. Recommendations include: more funding and increased resources to examine the most appropriate education and treatment strategies to promote smoking cessation among people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and some culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; larger and better-designed studies evaluating smoking cessation/reduction interventions among distinct sub-groups; and system-wide interventions requiring strong leadership among clients and staff within mental health, drug and alcohol and prison settings. [Baker A, Ivers RG, Bowman J, Butler T, Kay-Lambkin FJ, Wye P, Walsh RA, Pulver LJ, Richmond R, Belcher J, Wilhelm K, Wodak A. Where there's smoke, there's fire: high prevalence of smoking among some sub-populations and recommendations for intervention . Drug Alcohol Rev 2006;25:85–96] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work investigating the impact of childhood trauma on substance use and co-occurring psychiatric disorders has primarily been conducted in adults or on specific trauma types. This limits understanding of traumas impact in childhood and how different types of traumas play a role. We sought to characterize substance use in a sample of trauma-exposed youth in the context of psychiatric comorbidities. 1152 youth from the Texas Childhood Trauma Research Network (TX-CTRN) that were exposed to at least one trauma meeting DSM-5 Criterion A were assessed for current substance use and psychiatric diagnoses. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of substance use. To characterize these patterns, we examined if demographics, number of trauma types experienced, or childhood psychiatric disorders predicted class membership. We identified four primary patterns of substance use: Non-use (66.1%), predominantly alcohol use (19.7%), predominantly cannabis use (4.5%), and polysubstance use (9.7%). Compared to the non-users, polysubstance users tended to be older, Non-Hispanic White, have experienced more types of trauma. They were also more likely to have fulfilled diagnostic criteria for suicidality and ADHD. Comparisons among the substance using classes were more nuanced. The findings highlight the need for universal assessments of trauma, substance misuse, and mental health symptoms in youth as the presence or absence of their co-occurrence has implications for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Customers of online alcohol retailers are exposed to marketing displayed on alcohol retailers' websites and may also receive direct marketing via email and text message once contact details are provided in an online sale. To date, this direct marketing activity from online alcohol retailers has not been studied. This study aims to document the quantity and content of marketing material received by customers of online alcohol retailers in Australia, and whether the material complies with relevant regulation.Methods: A cross-sectional study of direct marketing from the 100 most popular online alcohol retailers in Australia. Marketing material received via email and text message was collected for three-months from March to June 2021. Email and text messages were coded for 17 variables in four categories: primary purpose of the communication; compliance with relevant regulations; marketing themes and practices used; and offers, promotions, and discounts.Results: We received 1496 emails from 85 of the 100 retailers. Of the retailers who sent emails, the number sent varied widely (Mdn=8; IQR=2-21). Seven retailers sent a total of 18 text messages. The primary purpose of most emails (67.4%) was to advertise a special or offer a discount. Almost all emails (98.6%) complied with spam legislation to include an unsubscribe link, but around half (46.5%) of emails from retailers in jurisdictions where the inclusion of a liquor license number is mandatory, failed to include one. The most common marketing theme was to link specific times or events to drinking (18.8%). Almost half (48.5%) of emails advertised free or discounted delivery for purchasing over a specified threshold.Conclusion: Most online alcohol retailers in Australia are engaging in direct marketing to their customers via email. More research is needed to understand how these emails may influence purchasing and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Comorbidity of mental disorders and substance use continues to be a major problem. To inform the development of more effective interventions for these co-existing disorders, this paper aimed to determine if there are clear variations in the reasons for tobacco, alcohol or cannabis use across people with different mental disorders. Methods: Data from five randomized controlled trials on co-existing disorders that measured reasons for tobacco, alcohol or cannabis use using the Drug Use Motives Questionnaire, Reasons for Smoking Questionnaire or via free response are reported and combined. Two studies involved participants with depression, two involved participants with a psychotic disorder and one involved participants with a range of mental disorders. A series of logistic regressions were conducted to examine differences in reasons for tobacco, alcohol or cannabis use and to compare these reasons between people with psychotic disorders or depression. Results: Participants had a mean age of 38 (SD=12) and just over half (60%) were male. Forty-six percent of participants had a psychotic disorder and 54% experienced depression. Data from 976 participants across the five studies were included in the analyses. Tobacco and alcohol were primarily used to cope, while cannabis was primarily used for pleasure. People with psychotic disorders were more likely than people with depression to use tobacco for coping, pleasure and illness motives. People with depression, in contrast, were more likely to use alcohol for these reasons and social reasons. Conclusions: It may be important to tailor interventions for co-existing mental disorders and substance use by substance type and type of mental disorder. For example, interventions might be improved by including alternative coping strategies to tobacco and/or alcohol use, by addressing the social role of alcohol and by helping people with mental disorders using cannabis to gain pleasure from their lives in other ways. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite high rates of comorbid substance use disorders and smoking among people with psychotic disorders, previous studies have not examined differences in socio-demographic, clinical or disability characteristics between psychosis sub-groups with different patterns of substance use. This study compared the characteristics of five groups of people with psychosis and varying patterns of substance use (n =1152), including groups entering treatment studies for substance use or smoking, epidemiological samples of substance users and smokers, and people without such problems. Data were drawn from several recent Australian studies using comparable structured interviews and scales. There were moderate group differences in illness and symptom profiles, with substance users tending to have higher depression and reality distortion scores. Unexpectedly, personal disability was considerably lower among those seeking treatment for their substance use compared with the epidemiological groups, raising concerns about the appropriateness of traditional recruitment approaches in treatment studies and highlighting the need for more assertive treatment engagement and referral strategies in routine clinical settings. As a consequence of uncertainty about links between substance use and everyday functioning, it is suggested that health messages to young people may need to strike a better balance between the potential harms and benefits associated with substance use in pursuing broader harm minimization goals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]