Introduction and Aims: The ability to accurately detect alcohol or other drug intoxication is an ... more Introduction and Aims: The ability to accurately detect alcohol or other drug intoxication is an important skill for people who use these substances and for a variety of professions (e.g., policing, responsible service of alcohol). Previous studies have found that intoxicated people are generally poor at estimating their own level of intoxication (particularly at high Blood Alcohol Concentration; BACs) and the link between intoxication and BAC appears to drop-off at higher BAC levels. But studies of observer ratings of other’s intoxication have yielded mixed results. The aim of this study was to investigate both self- and observer-ratings of intoxication against BAC levels to determine whether we see a similar drop-off in intoxication report for both self- and observer-rated intoxication.Design and Methods: Participants were 388 students interviewed outside three university events. Participants provided demographics, a rating of how intoxicated they felt (0=not at all, 10=very), and...
AimsOur aim was to determine whether alcohol hangover is associated with eating unhealthy foods (... more AimsOur aim was to determine whether alcohol hangover is associated with eating unhealthy foods (hot chips, soft drink) or healthy foods (fruit, vegetables). DesignDaily diary study across 13 days (micro-longitudinal design)SettingA sample of young adults completed daily diaries in the university community. Participants605 young adults (71% women; ages 17 to 25; mean age 19.91 [SD 1.86] years) who reported drinking alcohol at least twice during the 13-day study period.MeasurementsEach day, participants reported on their hangover severity, their consumption of fruit, vegetables, hot chips (French fries), and soft drink, and their alcohol consumption from the previous day. Linear mixed models were used to examine within‐person associations between hangover severity and food consumption, by gender. Exploratory models also controlled for previous day alcohol consumption to acknowledge potential variability in hangover susceptibility. FindingsOn days when participants reported higher sev...
INTRODUCTION The ability to accurately detect alcohol intoxication is an important skill for peop... more INTRODUCTION The ability to accurately detect alcohol intoxication is an important skill for people who use these substances and for a variety of professions (e.g. policing, responsible service of alcohol). Previous studies have found that intoxicated people are generally poor at estimating their own intoxication (particularly at high blood alcohol concentration; BAC) and the relationship between perceived intoxication and BAC appears to flatten at higher BAC levels. Studies of observer ratings of other's intoxication have yielded mixed results. The aim of this study was to investigate both self- and observer-ratings of intoxication against BAC levels to determine whether we observe a similar flattening in intoxication for both self- and observer-rated intoxication. METHODS Participants were 388 students interviewed outside three university events. Participants provided demographics, a rating of how intoxicated they felt (0 = not at all, 10 = very) and provided an alcohol breath test. Interviewers recorded a rating of how intoxicated the participant appeared to be. RESULTS A significant correlation was observed between self- and observer-ratings of intoxication (r = 0.802). We fitted our data with both linear and polynomial regressions. Polynomial regression accounted for more variance when predicting both self-rated intoxication (R2 = 0.50 vs. R2 = 0.40) and observer-rated intoxication from BAC (R2 = 0.58 vs. R2 = 0.52), suggesting a flattening for both intoxication ratings. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Both self-rated and observer-rated intoxication appeared to flatten at higher levels of BAC. This may be due to either tolerance or a 'ceiling effect' for observable signs of intoxication.
Conspiracy theories quickly flourished as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and this may have been an... more Conspiracy theories quickly flourished as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and this may have been an underlying factor for some individuals in their reluctance to adhere to lockdown policies. In the present study, we surveyed a community sample of 1358 adults just prior to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our results supported that right-wing individuals tended to have higher hesitancy associated with taking the COVID-19 vaccine. However, we demonstrated that this association, in part, can be explained by a corresponding belief in COVID-19 related conspiracies. Further, this association only emerged when associated with a general distrust in science. Our findings indicated that public interventions seeking to increase trust in science may mitigate right-wing endorsement of conspiracy theories and thus lead to a more unified and positive response to public health behaviours such as vaccination.
Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact ... more Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact on Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In an attempt to address this bias, the New Zealand Government amended cannabis laws in 2019, providing police with the power to determine whether a health-centred approach would be more beneficial than a conviction. In the current study, we use population level data to assess whether this law change has ameliorated the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori.Methods: Data were drawn from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s national statistics office. After constructing the population in the IDI, and filtering down to those who 1) were between 18 and 65, 2) were Māori or Pākehā and, 3) had any cannabis charges that proceeded to the courts, we had a sample of over 2,000 individuals.Results: Māori ethnicity was a significant predictor of the likelihood of receiving a c...
In a recent tweet, Auckland City Councillor Efeso Collins asked Television New Zealand (TVNZ) to ... more In a recent tweet, Auckland City Councillor Efeso Collins asked Television New Zealand (TVNZ) to drop Police Ten 7, arguing that it “…feeds on racial stereotypes”. Both the Chief Executive of the company behind Police Ten 7, and a former host, defended the show by suggesting that it provides an accurate portrayal of crime in Aotearoa New Zealand. In the current study, we coded a selection of episodes of Police Ten 7 from 2011 through to 2021. We had a single hypothesis: that Māori and Pacific peoples will be more likely to be depicted as committing aggressive crimes than Pākehā suspects. Consistent with our hypothesis, Māori and Pacific peoples were markedly more likely to be depicted committing aggressive offences than Pākehā.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has many individuals around the world fearing for their lives. ... more Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has many individuals around the world fearing for their lives. The constant news coverage, rapid transmission, and relatively high mortality rate, make fearfulness a natural response. To assess the fear of COVID-19, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was developed. The primary aim of the present study is to conduct the first psychometric assessment and validation of the English version of the FCV-19S.Methods: Two samples were collected in New Zealand. Sample 1 comprised 1,624 participants of which 1,397 completed all questions and were used in the analyses. Sample 2 comprised 1,111 participants of which 1,023 completed all questions and were used in the analyses. Several psychometric tests were conducted to ascertain the scale’s reliability and validity.Results: Across both samples, the FCV-19S had high internal consistency. Consistent with the earlier validation studies, the FCV-19S displayed a moderately strong relationship with the perceived in...
Introduction and Aims: The ability to accurately detect alcohol or other drug intoxication is an ... more Introduction and Aims: The ability to accurately detect alcohol or other drug intoxication is an important skill for people who use these substances and for a variety of professions (e.g., policing, responsible service of alcohol). Previous studies have found that intoxicated people are generally poor at estimating their own level of intoxication (particularly at high Blood Alcohol Concentration; BACs) and the link between intoxication and BAC appears to drop-off at higher BAC levels. But studies of observer ratings of other’s intoxication have yielded mixed results. The aim of this study was to investigate both self- and observer-ratings of intoxication against BAC levels to determine whether we see a similar drop-off in intoxication report for both self- and observer-rated intoxication.Design and Methods: Participants were 388 students interviewed outside three university events. Participants provided demographics, a rating of how intoxicated they felt (0=not at all, 10=very), and...
AimsOur aim was to determine whether alcohol hangover is associated with eating unhealthy foods (... more AimsOur aim was to determine whether alcohol hangover is associated with eating unhealthy foods (hot chips, soft drink) or healthy foods (fruit, vegetables). DesignDaily diary study across 13 days (micro-longitudinal design)SettingA sample of young adults completed daily diaries in the university community. Participants605 young adults (71% women; ages 17 to 25; mean age 19.91 [SD 1.86] years) who reported drinking alcohol at least twice during the 13-day study period.MeasurementsEach day, participants reported on their hangover severity, their consumption of fruit, vegetables, hot chips (French fries), and soft drink, and their alcohol consumption from the previous day. Linear mixed models were used to examine within‐person associations between hangover severity and food consumption, by gender. Exploratory models also controlled for previous day alcohol consumption to acknowledge potential variability in hangover susceptibility. FindingsOn days when participants reported higher sev...
INTRODUCTION The ability to accurately detect alcohol intoxication is an important skill for peop... more INTRODUCTION The ability to accurately detect alcohol intoxication is an important skill for people who use these substances and for a variety of professions (e.g. policing, responsible service of alcohol). Previous studies have found that intoxicated people are generally poor at estimating their own intoxication (particularly at high blood alcohol concentration; BAC) and the relationship between perceived intoxication and BAC appears to flatten at higher BAC levels. Studies of observer ratings of other's intoxication have yielded mixed results. The aim of this study was to investigate both self- and observer-ratings of intoxication against BAC levels to determine whether we observe a similar flattening in intoxication for both self- and observer-rated intoxication. METHODS Participants were 388 students interviewed outside three university events. Participants provided demographics, a rating of how intoxicated they felt (0 = not at all, 10 = very) and provided an alcohol breath test. Interviewers recorded a rating of how intoxicated the participant appeared to be. RESULTS A significant correlation was observed between self- and observer-ratings of intoxication (r = 0.802). We fitted our data with both linear and polynomial regressions. Polynomial regression accounted for more variance when predicting both self-rated intoxication (R2 = 0.50 vs. R2 = 0.40) and observer-rated intoxication from BAC (R2 = 0.58 vs. R2 = 0.52), suggesting a flattening for both intoxication ratings. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Both self-rated and observer-rated intoxication appeared to flatten at higher levels of BAC. This may be due to either tolerance or a 'ceiling effect' for observable signs of intoxication.
Conspiracy theories quickly flourished as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and this may have been an... more Conspiracy theories quickly flourished as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and this may have been an underlying factor for some individuals in their reluctance to adhere to lockdown policies. In the present study, we surveyed a community sample of 1358 adults just prior to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our results supported that right-wing individuals tended to have higher hesitancy associated with taking the COVID-19 vaccine. However, we demonstrated that this association, in part, can be explained by a corresponding belief in COVID-19 related conspiracies. Further, this association only emerged when associated with a general distrust in science. Our findings indicated that public interventions seeking to increase trust in science may mitigate right-wing endorsement of conspiracy theories and thus lead to a more unified and positive response to public health behaviours such as vaccination.
Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact ... more Background: Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact on Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In an attempt to address this bias, the New Zealand Government amended cannabis laws in 2019, providing police with the power to determine whether a health-centred approach would be more beneficial than a conviction. In the current study, we use population level data to assess whether this law change has ameliorated the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori.Methods: Data were drawn from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s national statistics office. After constructing the population in the IDI, and filtering down to those who 1) were between 18 and 65, 2) were Māori or Pākehā and, 3) had any cannabis charges that proceeded to the courts, we had a sample of over 2,000 individuals.Results: Māori ethnicity was a significant predictor of the likelihood of receiving a c...
In a recent tweet, Auckland City Councillor Efeso Collins asked Television New Zealand (TVNZ) to ... more In a recent tweet, Auckland City Councillor Efeso Collins asked Television New Zealand (TVNZ) to drop Police Ten 7, arguing that it “…feeds on racial stereotypes”. Both the Chief Executive of the company behind Police Ten 7, and a former host, defended the show by suggesting that it provides an accurate portrayal of crime in Aotearoa New Zealand. In the current study, we coded a selection of episodes of Police Ten 7 from 2011 through to 2021. We had a single hypothesis: that Māori and Pacific peoples will be more likely to be depicted as committing aggressive crimes than Pākehā suspects. Consistent with our hypothesis, Māori and Pacific peoples were markedly more likely to be depicted committing aggressive offences than Pākehā.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has many individuals around the world fearing for their lives. ... more Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has many individuals around the world fearing for their lives. The constant news coverage, rapid transmission, and relatively high mortality rate, make fearfulness a natural response. To assess the fear of COVID-19, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was developed. The primary aim of the present study is to conduct the first psychometric assessment and validation of the English version of the FCV-19S.Methods: Two samples were collected in New Zealand. Sample 1 comprised 1,624 participants of which 1,397 completed all questions and were used in the analyses. Sample 2 comprised 1,111 participants of which 1,023 completed all questions and were used in the analyses. Several psychometric tests were conducted to ascertain the scale’s reliability and validity.Results: Across both samples, the FCV-19S had high internal consistency. Consistent with the earlier validation studies, the FCV-19S displayed a moderately strong relationship with the perceived in...
Guidelines for the treatment of alcohol problems, 2021
These Guidelines were funded by the Australian Government and developed to support health service... more These Guidelines were funded by the Australian Government and developed to support health services and AOD (alcohol and/or other drug) treatment service workers to more accurately identify and manage patients with an alcohol problem. These Guidelines do not claim to reflect all considerations. As with all guidelines, recommendations may not be appropriate for use in all circumstances. These Guidelines should only be followed subject to the AOD worker's judgement in each individual case. Whilst the Guidelines are considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the Guidelines. While the Guidelines have been prepared and presented with all due care, The University of Sydney does not warrant or represent that the Guidelines are entirely free from error or omission. They are made available on the understanding that The University of Sydney and its employees and agents shall have no liability (including liability by reason of negligence) to the users for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of using or relying on the Guidelines. Links to a selection of available internet sites and resources are identified. Links to other internet sites that are not under the control of The University of Sydney are provided for information purposes only. Care has been taken in providing these links as suitable reference resources. It is the responsibility of users to make their own investigations, decisions and CONTENTS Chapter 1 An Introduction to the Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems Chapter 2 Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption and Related Harms in Australia Chapter 3 Stigma and Discrimination Chapter 4 Screening and Assessment Chapter 5 Models of Care Chapter 6 Brief Interventions for Alcohol Use and Related-Problems Chapter 7 Brief e-health Interventions for Alcohol Use and Related-Problems Chapter 8 Alcohol Withdrawal Chapter 9 Psychosocial Interventions Chapter 10 Pharmacotherapies
Uploads
Papers by Benjamin Riordan