North State Intoxication

Young adults living in rural areas have been relatively neglected in research on heavy alcohol use and related problems. This is surprising given the fact that alcohol use is more widespread among young people in rural areas and has serious health and social impacts. For example, limited health-related research suggests that rural young people initiate alcohol use earlier, drink more heavily, and experience an increased risk of alcohol abuse and related problems compared to young people living in urban areas.

In spite of documentation about the health consequences of drinking for rural young people , little is known about how the young adults who live in rural communities in California think about their own drinking and intoxication. The Center for Critical Public Health’s North State Intoxication Study was a 36-month qualitative interview project that examined young adults’ drinking and intoxication beliefs and practices. In doing this, we sought to understand the role that alcohol and intoxication play in the lives of young adults who live in the North State. We conducted 200 in-depth online interviews with young adults who had various degrees of experience with alcohol.

Participation was voluntary, and each participant who completed both the confidential survey and interview received $70 in total to thank them for their time. Participants received $20 after completing the survey and $50 after completing the interview. This study received ethical approval from the Committee of the Protection of Human Subjects at the Institute for Scientific Analysis in Alameda, CA.