The role of a rural sobering-up centre in managing alcohol-related harm to Aboriginal people in South Australia.
There is a paucity of literature on the topic of sobering-up centres (non-custodial safe overnight accommodation for the publicly intoxicated). This paper presents findings of a retrospective longitudinal case study of a sobering-up centre in regional South Australia over the ten years 1991 to 2000. There were 6,486 admissions during this period, 97.1% of which were of Aboriginal people. We collated and analysed primary data including demographic details of admissions and re-admissions, and qualitative and quantitative measures of intoxication. The findings from this case study, considered together with contextual understandings from a wider social study in this region by three of the authors, provide supporting evidence of the important role of sobering-up centres in averting the known harms of a custodial response to public drunkenness, as well as avoiding the potential harm of alcohol-related injury among vulnerable Aboriginal people.
Brady
Maggie
M
Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. maggie.brady@anu.edu.au
Nicholls
Ruth
R
Henderson
Graham
G
Byrne
Joe
J
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003482:Custodial Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012940:Social Problems / Q000517:prevention & control; D013021:South Australia; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014600:Utilization Review; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control
D000431:Ethanol