Bellis Mark A, Hughes Karen E, Dillon Paul, Copeland Jan, Gates Peter
Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Castle House, North Street, Liverpool, L3 2AY, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2007 Jan 2;7:1. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-7-1.
Whilst alcohol and drug use among young people is known to escalate during short holidays and working breaks in international nightlife resorts, little empirical data are available on the impact of longer backpacking holidays on substance use. Here we examine changes in alcohol, tobacco and drug use when UK residents go backpacking in Australia.
Matched information on alcohol and drug use in Australia and the UK was collected through a cross sectional cohort study of 1008 UK nationals aged 18-35 years, holidaying in Sydney or Cairns, Australia, during 2005.
The use of alcohol and other drugs by UK backpackers visiting Australia was common with use of illicit drugs being substantially higher than in peers of the same age in their home country. Individuals showed a significant increase in frequency of alcohol consumption in Australia compared to their behaviour in the UK with the proportion drinking five or more times per week rising from 20.7% (UK) to 40.3% (Australia). Relatively few individuals were recruited into drug use in Australia (3.0%, cannabis; 2.7% ecstasy; 0.7%, methamphetamine). However, over half of the sample (55.0%) used at least one illicit drug when backpacking. Risk factors for illicit drug use while backpacking were being regular club goers, being male, Sydney based, travelling without a partner or spouse, having been in Australia more than four weeks, Australia being the only destination on their vacation and drinking or smoking five or more days a week.
As countries actively seek to attract more international backpacker tourists, interventions must be developed that target this population's risk behaviours. Developing messages on drunkenness and other drug use specifically for backpackers could help minimise their health risks directly (e.g. adverse drug reactions) and indirectly (e.g. accidents and violence) as well as negative impacts on the host country.
虽然已知在国际夜生活度假胜地的短期假期和工作间隙期间，年轻人的酒精和药物使用会增加，但关于较长时间的背包旅行假期对物质使用的影响，实证数据却很少。在此，我们研究英国居民在澳大利亚背包旅行时酒精、烟草和药物使用的变化情况。
通过对1008名年龄在18 - 35岁、于2005年在澳大利亚悉尼或凯恩斯度假的英国国民进行横断面队列研究，收集了他们在澳大利亚和英国的酒精和药物使用的匹配信息。
前往澳大利亚的英国背包客中，酒精和其他药物的使用很常见，非法药物的使用显著高于其在本国同龄人群体。与在英国的行为相比，个体在澳大利亚的饮酒频率显著增加，每周饮酒五次或更多次的比例从20.7%（英国）升至40.3%（澳大利亚）。在澳大利亚，相对较少的人开始使用毒品（大麻为3.0%；摇头丸为2.7%；甲基苯丙胺为0.7%）。然而，超过一半的样本（55.0%）在背包旅行时至少使用过一种非法药物。背包旅行时使用非法药物的风险因素包括经常去俱乐部、男性、居住在悉尼、独自旅行、在澳大利亚停留超过四周、澳大利亚是其唯一度假目的地以及每周饮酒或吸烟五天或更多天。
随着各国积极寻求吸引更多国际背包客游客，必须制定针对这一人群风险行为的干预措施。专门为背包客制定关于醉酒和其他药物使用的宣传信息，有助于直接（如药物不良反应）和间接（如事故和暴力）降低他们的健康风险，以及减少对东道国的负面影响。
