Drowning is the third cause of injury death across all age groups. Internationally and within New Zealand, alcohol has also been associated with drowning. In 1999, the Injury Prevention Research Centre (IPRC) conducted Stage I of the Boating Safety Survey in the form of a pre-intervention boating survey.
Baseline data on alcohol use among boaters in the Auckland region was collected and analysed as part of preparations for developing and evaluating an interventions study that addressed alcohol use on the water during the America’s Cup and millennium celebrations in Auckland. This study was jointly funded by the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) and the Maritime Safety Authority (MSA).