Developing a Profile of Alcohol Consumption Patterns of Police Officers in a Large Scale Sample of an Australian Police Service

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine the prevalence of alcohol use within a large sample (n = 4,193) of Australian police offers. Prevalence and at risk behaviour was measured through the use of a self-report survey containing the AUDIT and standard frequency and quantity questions. Results indicated that although police did not report drinking with high frequency when compared to the national statistics, they did drink in far greater quantities. Further, both males and females in the police sample reported high rates of binge drinking. The 18- to 25-year old age group reported the highest levels of frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed. Twenty-five percent of officers reported having drunk whilst on duty. An alarming proportion of the sample (30%) scored in the ‘at risk of harmful consumption’ category on the AUDIT while a further 3% scored in the ‘alcohol dependant’ category. Examination of demographic variables revealed that males, 18- to 35-year-olds, those divorced or separated, constables, operational personnel and officers who have served between 4 and 10 years were the groups most likely to fall in the risk category on the AUDIT. This was similar for the alcohol-dependant category except that males and females were equally likely to fall in this category. In conclusion, a significant number of police officers displayed at risk alcohol consumption behaviour; in comparison to earlier studies this proportion is not decreasing. Interventions and education programmes are needed within the police workplace, particularly in regard to the dangers of binge drinking for females and youth.

Variation in the risk for liver and gallbladder cancers in socioeconomic and occupational groups in Sweden with etiological implications

“…Besides, an excess risk of gallbladder cancer was also observed for female public safety workers, who were mainly police. A high level of alcohol consumption was observed for female policemen in a recent Australian study (Davey et al 2000). Other occupational groups with a high alcohol intake, such as waiters and seamen, did not show an excessive risk of gallbladder cancer in the present study.…”

Effort–Reward Imbalance and Heavy Alcohol Consumption Among Humanitarian Aid Workers

“…The prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption found in the current study was considerably lower than that found in studies that have used the same assessment instrument in ERI AND ALCOHOL 13 relation to United Kingdom vets (Bartram, 2009) and Australian police (Davey, Obst, & Sheehan, 2000). Our findings are similar to those found among police and ambulance personnel in Norway (Sterud et al, 2007).…”

Police and Alcohol Use: A Descriptive Analysis and Associations with Stress Outcomes

“…A study by Davey, Obst, and Sheehan (2000) of a large sample of Australian police officers found that 30% of officers scored in the "at risk of harmful consumption" category on the World Health Organizations Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) while 3% scored in the 'alcohol dependant' category. At examination, male officers, officers 18-35 years of age, those divorced or separated, constables and operational personnel, and officers who have served between 4-10 years were the groups most likely to fall in these risk categories.…”

“…The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) has been found to be an appropriate and reliable measure of alcohol use across gender, age, and race (Saunders, Aasland, Babor, Fuente, & Grant, 1993;Steinbauer, Cantor, Holzer, & Volk, 1998;Volk, Steinbauer, Cantor, & Holzer, 1997), as well as an appropriate and reliable indicator of potentially damaging levels of consumption in the United States (Dawson, Grant, Stinson, & Zhou, 2005) and among law enforcement officers (Davey et al, 2000;Lindsay & Shelley, 2009). A within sample analysis resulted in a Chronbach alpha of 0.77.…”