Participants completed a modified version of the Communities That Care (CTC) youth survey, an epidemiological instrument developed in the United States [29] and validated with minor changes to suit the Australian context [30]. Alcohol use was derived from the item “In the past year, on how many occasions have you had alcoholic beverages (like beer, wine or liquor/spirits) to drink – more than just a few sips?”(0 ‘Never’, 1 ‘1–2 times’, 2 ‘3–5 times’, 3 ‘6–9 times’, 4 ‘10–19 times’, 5 ‘20–29 times’, 6 ‘30–39 times’, 7 ‘40+ times’). Peer alcohol use was assessed with the item “In the past year, how many of your best friends have tried alcohol (like beer, wine or liquor/spirits) when their parents didn’t know about it?” (0–4 friends).
