Alasdair J. M. Forsyth

Diets for disease? Intraurban variation in reported food consumption in Glasgow

A recent official report on the Scottish Diet reviews evidence for poor health and poor diets among the Scots, and makes extensive and specific recommendations about dietary change. This paper examines the extent to which reported consumption of fifteen of the food groups discussed in that report vary among four neighbourhoods in Glasgow City. Some foods appear to be typical of a wider Glaswegian (or Scottish) diet and show little variation among neighbourhoods (e.g. semi-skimmed milk, white fish, confectionery, cakes and pastries, savoury snacks). Other foods however show marked differences between neighbourhoods after controlling for sex, age and social class; these include fruit, vegetables, meat (particularly processed meat products), bread, spreading fats, sugar, natural fruit juice and alcohol. This suggests that such intraurban variations in food consumption cannot be explained simply by socio-demographic or socio-economic factors in individuals and that cultural and supply factors also need to be taken into account.

Virtually a drug scare: Mephedrone and the impact of the Internet on drug news transmission

BACKGROUND On the 16th April 2010 the drug mephedrone was outlawed in the UK. This followed news media reports of deaths linked to the drug. In many respects the mephedrone scare represented a familiar pattern of drug framing and legislative reaction. However, the mephedrone scare took place in the era of online news transmission. METHODS To quantify the mephedrone scare the Google Internet search-engines Trends and News applications were monitored from when the first death was attributed to the drug until 1 year after it was banned. RESULTS Web interest in buying mephedrone peaked when online news stories reported deaths from the drug. Eighteen alleged mephedrone deaths were identified from online news. The fatalities which received the most Internet traffic subsequently proved false-alarms. Online interactive media widened access to alternative explanations of these alleged mephedrone deaths. CONCLUSION It is contended that the advent of the Internet accelerated and inflated the mephedrone scare, but also that online media allowed [web] user-generated information transmission, rather than simple dissemination by news media to audience, fostering competing discourses to stock drug scare themes as they emerged.

The socio-spatial distribution of alcohol outlets in Glasgow city

AIMS The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of alcohol outlets by area deprivation across Glasgow, Scotland. METHODS All alcohol outlets were mapped and density per 1000 residents and proximity to nearest outlet calculated across quintiles of area deprivation. RESULTS The socio-spatial distribution of alcohol outlets varies by deprivation across Glasgow but not systematically. Some deprived areas contain the highest concentration while others in similar deprivation quintiles contain very few. CONCLUSIONS Considerations of the local context are important in examining access to alcohol but more research is also required on purchasing behaviour.

Front, side, and back-loading: Patrons' rationales for consuming alcohol purchased off-premises before, during, or after attending nightclubs

Aims: To examine motivations for consumption of alcohol purchased off-trade when visiting on-trade licensed premises. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with nightclub patrons who also completed a drinking diary, detailing the time and place their previous weeks alcohol consumption. Results: Drinking before entering nightclubs was the norm, although the location and extent of this ‘front-loading’ varied. Consuming alcohol purchased elsewhere while attending nightclubs (‘side-loading’) or continued drinking after leaving these premises (‘back-loading’) were reported much less frequently. Interviewees reported a range of psychosocial motives for consuming alcohol before or after night-club attendance, rather than a single reason (e.g. cost) Conclusions: The findings of this research imply that off-premises alcohol consumption by night-clubbers is widespread and motivated as much by the structure of the night-time economy as by price differentials between competing sectors of the licensed trade.

Gender differences in the choreography of alcohol-related violence: An observational study of aggression within licensed premises

Aims: To examine patterns of gender involvement in violent incidents observed within licensed premises. Methods: Field observations were conducted in a sample of eight city centre nightclubs allowing alcohol-related aggressive incidents to be witnessed in their naturalistic setting. Results: Although most of those involved in aggressive incidents were males (108/171), many of the conflicts witnessed involved female combatants (36.8%). Additionally, female-to-female incidents were found to be as potentially injurious as those between males. Nevertheless, female-to-female and male-to-male conflicts did differ, in terms of the nature of the violence observed with, for example, female conflicts being less likely to involve an easily recognizable set pre-fight choreography. Conclusions: This research the challenges belief that female conflicts within licensed premises are less problematic than those involving males. These findings are discussed in terms of alcohol, masculinity, and harm reduction.

Alco‐pop? The Use of Popular Music in Glasgow Pubs

In recent years popular music studies has witnessed a turn towards concentrating on music at a local level (Cloonan) and its use in what DeNora calls everyday life. In a separate, but overlapping, development there has been a growing interest in the night‐time economy. At an academic level this has included some interest in the role popular music plays in that economy (e.g. Bennett; Björnberg and Stockfelt) and at the UK governmental level it has included responses to “binge drinking” (Home Affairs Select Committee; Prime Ministers Strategy Unit; Scottish Executive) and to licensing.1 But there has been less attention paid to the role that music plays within a key part of that economy—pubs. In this article we examine the use of music in city centre pubs in Glasgow, Scotland. We include the role of music in attracting customers to pubs, the different types of clientele attracted, the relationship between music and alcohol sales, and the ways in which music can act as both a trigger for disorder and a means of preventing it. We develop a typology of uses of music and explore the implications for popular music studies.

The nature and extent of illegal drug and alcohol-related litter in Scottish social housing community: A photographic investigation

This article investigates the nature and extent of alcohol and other drug-related litter in a residential community. This was done by means of a survey of such litter conducted in the social housing ‘schemes’ of a Scottish town, piloting the use of interpretive photography to assess the threat that these pose in the community (n = 1239 pictures of such items). The survey found little evidence of hazardous illegal drug-related litter (number of sets of needles/syringes) in comparison to alcohol litter such as broken bottles. The photographs taken also illustrated the ways in which the risks posed by such litter could vary, according to the type of items concerned (e.g. plastic vs. glass, especially screw-cap, bottles) and their locations. It is also suggested that brand identifiable alcohol litter may act as form of free advertising. These findings are discussed in terms of community safety, and the need to raise awareness of the issues surrounding alcohol-related glass in a community setting as has already been done with illegal drug litter. It is also recommended that certain off-trade alcohol distributers switch from glass to plastic bottles.

Diazepam, alcohol use and violence among male young offenders: ‘The devil's mixture’

Background: Diazepam is a benzodiazepine which has a history of usage among problem drug using groups. It has also been linked to aggression in laboratory settings. This article will examine illicit diazepam use and violence amongst predominantly alcohol-orientated offenders. Methods: A self-complete survey of male Young Offenders (n = 172) recruited during their induction into Scotlands only Young Offenders Institution was carried out during 2007. Qualitative interviews (n = 30) were conducted during 2008 on another sample recruited in the same way. Results: Survey respondents tended to report alcohol, rather than illegal drugs as being related to their offending behaviour. The exception to this pattern was diazepam, which when used in conjunction with alcohol was associated with violence, including weapon use. The 2008 interviews confirmed this and raised further concerns about the way in which diazepam was being mixed with alcohol, in relation to its mode of action, source of supply, dosage and users’ beliefs. Conclusion: Although it receives little dedicated research, education or media attention, diazepam was a factor in more (violent) crime among this population than any/all other illegal drugs.

The impact of drug-related death on staff who have experienced it as part of their caseload: An exploratory study

Background: Previous research into drug-related death (DRD) has targeted specific groups such as the deceased themselves, witnesses, or families of victims. There has been no research on staff working in the substance misuse field and the impact that DRD has had on them. Method: A postal questionnaire survey was conducted across a Scottish health authority area and quantitatively measured the impact that this event had on the work, health, and social life. Results: Sixty-five staff persons were identified as having experiencing at least one DRD on their caseload. These 65 reported a range of grief-related reactions, with the majority (88%) identifying at least one reaction. The most common feelings identified were sadness (83%), guilt (40%), and anger (37%) about the death of their client. Female staff, those with access to more sources of support, those who had a larger caseload, those with greater career experience of DRD on their caseload, and those who felt close to their client all reported significantly greater prevalence of grief-related reactions. The length of time since the DRD had occurred was also associated. Conclusions: When a DRD occurs, staff involved in the care and treatment of the deceased need to be considered in the aftermath.

Assessing the validity of recent estimates of problematic drug use in England

Background: The Home Office has recently published estimates which, for the first time, provide a “robust national estimate” of the number of problematic drug users in England. The 2004/05 and 2005/06 estimates are the highest estimates ever produced for England and coincide with the highest ever government annual expenditure on combating illicit drug use. Methods and Results: Review of a range of data sources that indicate a downward trend in problematic drug use in recent years. Conclusions: The validity of the estimates is important for drug policy, and the paper considers the implications of both increasing and decreasing levels of problematic drug use.