title: Deconstructing alcohol use on a night out in England: promotions, preloading and consumption.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine alcohol consumed during a drinking event (a single drinking occasion) by those attending public house/on-trade establishments on nights with standard pricing and nights with promotional prices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data (n = 425) were collected in an ecological momentary assessment over eight nights in two locations (Midlands and London) on both promotional and standard (Saturday) nights. Multiple regression was used to predict event alcohol consumption by sex, age, type of night, alcohol preloading behaviour, marital and employment status, education, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test alcohol consumption questions separately or total AUDIT-C and social group size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (UK) units consumed were 11.8 (London) and 14.4 (Midlands). In London, consumption was similar on promotional and standard nights, but in the Midlands, standard night consumption was three units higher. Preloading was reported by 30%; more common on standard nights. Regression analyses revealed being male, preloading and past-year total AUDIT-C were associated with higher event consumption. However, when AUDIT-C questions were added separately, being a standard night was associated with increased event consumption and different AUDIT-C questions were significantly associated with event consumption in each location.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Event consumption reflected heavy episodic drinking and was influenced by price. Promotional night consumption either matched standard Saturday night consumption or was slightly lower. In London, there was a significant preference for drinking at least one promotional beverage on promotional nights. On standard nights, consumption was over a wider range of venues, and preloading with off-trade alcohol was more likely.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK; Highland Council Psychological Service, Inverness, UK.
authors.forename: Kirstie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McClatchley
authors.forename: Gillian W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Shorter
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chalmers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000191:economics*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014495:Universities / Q000191:economics*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: alcohol drinking; alcoholic intoxication; binge drinking; event drinking; policy