Drinking before going out--a predictor of negative nightlife experiences in a German inner city area.

Objective: The aim of the presented study is to identify target groups for early interventions to reduce negative effects of nightlife alcohol consumption and negative nightlife experiences (e.g. involvement in fights) as well as to examine the consumption patterns and identify the need for further interventions.

Method: A cross-sectional survey of 308 persons in a German city centre during night time.

Measurements: A questionnaire including questions on basic demographics, alcohol consumed prior to and during a typical night out, drug usage and experiences of the city's nightlife in the previous 12 months.

Results: Two-thirds of the interviewees repeated a hazardous or high alcohol consumption pattern on a night out. We found several predictors for negative nightlife experiences: those who are male, younger than 25, have a low level of education, show higher alcohol consumption (especially before going out), and take illicit drugs are at a particularly great risk of experiencing negative nightlife events.

Conclusions: We found several factors which increase the risk of experiencing negative effects of alcohol consumption. In particular, drinking before going out seems to be associated with aversive consequences.