title: "Fourteen dollars for one beer!" Pre-drinking is associated with high-risk drinking among Victorian young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pre-drinking entails consuming alcohol before attending licensed venues. We examined the relationship between pre-drinking, intention to get drunk and high-risk drinking among Victorians aged 18-24 years, to consider whether reducing pre-drinking might ameliorate alcohol-related harm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Variables within the 2009 Victorian Youth Alcohol and Drugs Survey (VYADS) dataset were analysed and compared with a thematic interpretation of research interviews involving 60 young adults living in Melbourne. High-risk drinking was defined as consuming 11 or more standard drinks in a session at least monthly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VYADS data show that pre-drinking was a significant predictor of high-risk drinking, even after intention to get drunk was controlled for. The most common explanation provided by interviewees for pre-drinking was because it is cheaper to purchase alcohol at bottle shops than at bars and clubs. This was particularly emphasised by those who drank at a high-risk level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that people pre-drink because they desire to be intoxicated, but also that pre-drinking patterns and product choices exacerbate the likelihood of high-risk drinking. Reducing availability of cheap packaged alcohol has potential to limit both pre-drinking and high-risk drinking among Victorian young adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study adds weight to calls to implement minimum alcohol pricing in Australia.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Victoria; Centre for Heath and Society, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MacLean
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Callinan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D001515:Beer / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003132:Commerce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014739:Victoria; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: alcohol; policy; pre-drinking; pre-gaming; pre-partying