Sporting events and the use of alcohol by university students: Managing the risks

Recent media releases have highlighted the increasing problem that binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption is creating among Australian youth. Yet despite these concerns, it would appear that little attention has been given to this core problem by many sport event organizers beyond the standard security measures. The Australian University Games, the largest event of its type held annually in the Southern Hemisphere, attracts more than 6,500 participants as well as 1,700 different teams and support staff for 1 week of scheduled sporting and social activities. Despite its size and complexity, only limited research had been undertaken to date with respect to the motivations, behavior, and perspectives of young adults attending this type of university-related sport tourism event. The primary aim of this exploratory study was to identify the underlying motivations for students to participate in the Australian University Games in Brisbane, Australia, and their subsequent use of alcohol during the event. Importantly the study also sought to determine whether a relationship existed between the participants' motivations and their predisposition to engage in alcohol consumption. Study results found that socializing and being with friends were critical factors for the participants. It was also found that alcohol consumption figured prominently in the lives of the majority of attendees. These findings have provided strong support for the provision of a cohesive and purposeful social program as a major component part of the wider sporting based activities, and needs to be seen as a critical factor in the successful staging of future sports events such as the University Games. Results also highlighted the need for event organizers to schedule more social activities, which are paramount when seeking to effectively reduce the level of risk as well as need for better profiling of event participants, which needs be implemented by management in the event preplanning stage