The Craic's Great, 1997
Printer-friendly versionIn June 1997, The Rainbow Project launched the findings of its study into the recreational drug use of gay men throughout Northern Ireland.1 The study comprised 195 anonymous self-completion questionnaires completed by gay (91.8%) and bisexual men (8.2%).
The age group ranged from 18 to 43 years, with the mean age of 29.78 years. Over three quarters of respondents (77.3%) were in employment, with almost one third (31%) earning in excess of £200 per week.
Main findings
- 97.9% consumed alcohol on a regular basis.
Of those who said they drank (97.9%):
- 75.7% (n=143) said they drank between one and four times a week;
- 11.1% (n=21) said they drank daily.
The CAGE questionnaire was incorporated and showed that 39.9% of respondents who drank had concerns about their level of drinking.
The CAGE questions are four clinical interview questions which have been used internationally as an assessment instrument for identifying problems with alcohol.2 The questions focus on: Cutting down, Annoyance by criticism, Guilty feeling and Eye opener (making the acronym CAGE). It is accepted that a positive answer to two or more CAGE questions would indicate a problem with alcohol.
The questions are:
- I have felt that I ought to cut down on my drinking.
- People have annoyed me by criticising my drinking.
- I have felt ashamed or guilty about my drinking.
- I have had a drink first thing in the morning to steady my nerves or get rid of a hangover (eye opener).
References
- The Rainbow Project. The Craic's Great. 1996 (unpublished).
- Ewing, JA. Detecting alcoholism: the CAGE questionnaire. JAMA 252, 1905-1907, 1984.