Understanding heavy alcohol consumption cultures among nurses and lawyers

Investigators: Dr Robyn Dwyer, Dr Amy Pennay, Dr Michael Savic, A/Prof Sarah MacLean, Dr Rowan Ogeil, Prof Dan Lubman, Prof Robin Room, Mr Jarryd Bartle

Led by Dr Dwyer, this team of researchers from LaTrobe University and Monash University including MARC members Dr Michael Savic, Dr Rowan Ogeil, and Prof Dan Lubman have received an ARC Linkage Grant to investigate drinking culture in the legal and nursing professions. This project aims to investigate drinking cultures among nurses and lawyers – two sizeable Australian workforces where heavy drinking is common. Addressing drinking cultures among social groups is an emerging strategy to complement population and individual level efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm. Alcohol use among workers has implications for health, safety and performance, yet researchers have paid little attention to occupational drinking cultures. Using rigorously collected qualitative and quantitative data, this project expects to generate new knowledge on socio-cultural practices and meanings of drinking in the groups, illuminate relations between drinking cultures and harms, and enable innovative intervention opportunities.

Project funder

Australian Research Council (ARC)

Project partners

A collaboration between the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), Turning Point, MARC, Eastern Health, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), the Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria and Jarryd Bartle Consulting (JBC).