Moira L. Plant

Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use amongst nurses: A Scottish study

This paper examines patterns of self-reported alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use amongst a representative sample of 600 qualified nurses in the Lothian Region of Scotland. General levels of alcohol use were not exceptional. Even so, levels of tobacco smoking and the use of illicit drugs were higher than for the general population. Female psychiatric nurses were significantly more likely than female medical or surgical nurses to smoke tobacco, to drink heavily and to have experienced adverse alcohol-related consequences.

Alcohol, AIDS risks and commercial sex: some preliminary results from a Scottish study

During 1988 self-report data were elicited from a study of 102 male and 103 female sex workers (prostitutes) in Edinburgh. Respondents were contacted by snowballing, mostly in licensed premises. This was reflected by high levels of self-reported alcohol and illicit drug use. Respondents reported that both alcohol and illicit drug use were commonplace in relation to their work and that many of their clients were under alcohol or drug effect at the time of contact. Condom use was unrelated to sex workers alcohol or drug use, but was significantly associated with sex workers assessments of the proportions of their clients also under the influence of illicit drugs.

Alcohol, AIDS risks and sex industry clients: results from a Scottish study.

During 1988 and 1989 self-reported data were obtained from 206 males and three females who had paid for physical sexual services. Respondents were contacted by snowballing, mainly with the assistance of sex workers. The study group reported that both alcohol and illicit drug use were commonplace during their contact with prostitutes. No general association between alcohol and drug use and risky sex was evident. Even so amongst males who had anal sex with males alcohol consumption was inversely related to condom use.

Alcohol and breast cancer: a review.

This paper reviews the major studies on the possible relationship between drinking alcohol and breast cancer. The majority of these studies show some association between levels of alcohol consumption and breast cancer. However, the evidence of a causal link is lacking. A number of problems in interpreting the data are discussed. Given the high incidence of breast cancer in many countries, this is an important area. However, the imputed role of alcohol must not be exaggerated, particularly if this means that other more important factors in the equation fail to be examined.

Alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and sex : an analysis of risky behaviors among young adults

This paper reexamines data from two previous surveys. It looks at self-reported alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use and sexual risk-taking among three subgroups of young adults. All subjects (N = 1,387) were aged 20-30. The samples consisted of nurses in the Lothian Region, and residents in Muirhouse (Edinburgh) and Easterhouse (Glasgow). Factor analysis revealed that risk-taking behavior was neither entirely general nor entirely specific. Although there was some tendency for a risk-taker in one area to be a risk-taker in others, five fairly distinct types of risk-taking could be distinguished. These included sexual risk-taking, illicit use of drugs, and excessive alcohol consumption. The samples differed in the extent to which they indulged in the different types of risk-taking, and various other predictors of these behaviors were found. Different patterns of association emerged in relation to specific subgroups of respondents.

Associations between drinking, smoking and illicit drug use among adolescents in the Western Isles of Scotland: implications for harm minimization

The results of a 1994 survey of 804 school pupils aged 13- 16 years in the Western Isles of Scotland were examined in the light of preliminary findings of extreme and unusual polarization of drinking habits among the respondents. Further analysis revealed that abstainers and heavy drinkers were distinctive in relation to both tobacco and illicit drug use, with abstainers reporting substantially less experience of these substances. There were also significant differences between drinking status categories (light, moderate, heavy) in alcohol use characteristics. Some aspects of these drinking patterns were similar to those among teenagers in the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The results in the special context of the Western Isles are discussed in the light of available evidence on the problems of preventing heavy drinking by young people. It is concluded that health promotion is important. Even so, past experience suggests that youthful heavy drinking is best curbed by use of a combination of policies to regul...

Drinking in pregnancy and fetal harm: Results from a scottish prospective study

The results are presented of a prospective study into the relationship between maternal alcohol consumption and fetal harm. An association was found between maternal alcohol consumption and certain birth abnormalities. In spite of this, alcohol per se was not a major contributor to these abnormalities.

Family alcohol problems among pregnant women: Links with maternal substance use and birth abnormalities

Between 1980 and 1983 a prospective study of 1008 pregnant women was conducted in South East Scotland, to investigate whether or not maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy was associated with birth abnormalities. The initial results indicated that maternal drinking was associated with such abnormalities, but that alcohol appeared to play a relatively minor role in causing such harm. An extended analysis was conducted to investigate possible links between the maternal use of alcohol, tobacco, prescribed and illegal drugs, birth abnormalities and family alcohol problems amongst pregnant women. Women who had experienced alcohol problems were significantly more likely than other women to have used illegal drugs but were not distinctive in relation to the number of birth abnormalities evident amongst their offspring. In addition females whose spouses/partners or parents had experienced alcohol problems did not produce more damaged babies than those with no such family alcohol problems. Curiously, women whose fathers had been problem drinkers produced offspring with fewer birth abnormalities than did other women.

Fetal alcohol syndrome: an overview

A brief and highly selective review is presented of the now extensive literature related to the possible effects of drinking during pregnancy upon fetal development. Some of the problems of methodology are discussed. It is concluded that while very heavy drinking may be harmful, low levels of alcohol consumption do not appear to be a cause for concern