Education of key personnel in student pubs leads to a decrease in alcohol consumption among the patrons: a randomized...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Alcohol Research

Background:

• Student pubs are social hubs where alcohol consumption is prevalent.
• High alcohol consumption among university students poses significant health risks.
• Server training is a potential intervention to mitigate alcohol-related harms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of server-training programs in reducing alcohol consumption among student pub patrons.
• To assess the impact of server training on the social atmosphere within student pubs.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 12 university pubs.
• Bartenders (n=40) in six pubs received educational server-training; others served as controls.
• Breath alcohol concentration (BAC) and self-reported social atmosphere were measured pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Patrons in pubs with trained servers showed a statistically significant reduction in BAC compared to controls (-0.011%).
• A significant decrease in reported 'rowdy' social atmosphere was observed in the intervention group (-6 points).
• No significant changes were noted in reported 'cosy' or 'high' social atmosphere.

Conclusions:

• Server-training programs effectively reduce alcohol consumption and rowdiness in student pub settings.
• Implementing server training can be a valuable component of alcohol problem prevention strategies for university students.
• Targeted interventions in environments frequented by young adults can influence health behaviors.