title: Harm reduction text messages delivered during alcohol drinking: feasibility study protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent research using mobile phone interventions to address public health issues such as smoking, obesity, depression, and diabetes provides a basis for trialing a similar approach toward reducing the negative consequences of risky drinking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This feasibility study aims to recruit drinkers between 18-34 years to a website where they will design and enter their own personal messages (repeating or one-off) to be sent to their mobile phones when they are drinking to remind them of their pre-drinking safety intentions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in the treatment group will have access to the messaging function for 3 months and will be compared to a control group who will have 3 months access to a web chat site only. Data collection will occur at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The primary outcome is a change in unintended negative consequences from drinking at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include the acceptability of the intervention to this population, recruitment rate, participant retention, reduction in alcohol consumption, and the self-motivation discourse in participant messages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Existing alcohol interventions in New Zealand attempt to reduce alcohol consumption in the population, but with little effect. This study aims to target unintended negative consequences resulting from drinking by empowering the drinkers themselves to deliver safety messages during the drinking session. If proven effective, this strategy could provide a cost-effective means of reducing the public health burden associated with risky drinking.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12611000242921.
authors.affiliation: General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. k.renner@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Karen Adell
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Renner
keywords: alcohol; brief intervention; eHealth; harm reduction; mobile phone; smartphone