Is the pregame to blame? Event-level associations between pregaming and alcohol-related consequences

• Published in: Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs Vol. 74; no. 5; pp. 757 - 764
• Main Authors: Merrill, Jennifer E, Vermont, Leah N, Bachrach, Rachel L, Read, Jennifer P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc 01-09-2013; Rutgers University
• Subjects: Adolescent; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol related problems; Alcohol use; Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Blame; College students; Female; Humans; Interventions; Interviews as Topic; Male; Recreation; Risk; Risk exposure; Sex Factors; Social Behavior; Social life & customs; Students - statistics & numerical data; Time Factors; Undergraduate students; Universities; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1937-1888; 1938-4114
• DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2013.74.757

Pregaming (drinking before a social occasion) predicts alcohol consequences between persons; people who pregame report greater consequences than those who do not. The present study examined within-person associations between pregaming and daily consequences.
Participants were college students (N = 44; 50% female) reporting past-month pregaming. Daily drinks consumed (during pregaming and across the entire drinking episode) and alcohol consequences were assessed with a 30-day Timeline Followback interview.
Within individuals, engaging in pregaming predicted consequences experienced on a given day above and beyond the number of drinks consumed across the drinking episode and typical drinking level. Furthermore, there was a trend toward pregaming placing women at more risk for consequences than men.
Findings support a context-specific risk for consequences that is conferred by pregaming and that is independent of how much drinking occurs across the drinking episode. Results highlight pregaming as a target for future interventions.