Young Adult Beer Preferences: What's Their Favorite Brew?

Young adults and teenagers are drinking alcohol, despite it being illegal for those under 21 in the US. A nationwide survey found that underage drinkers prefer beer, with Bud Light being the most popular, followed by Budweiser and Coors Light. While spirits are more popular for binge drinking, beer is still the alcoholic beverage of choice for young people.

Young adults' favourite beer: Budweiser

A nationwide survey in the US found that the favourite alcoholic drink of underage drinkers is beer, with Budweiser taking the top spot. The survey, which was published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, polled 1,031 boys and girls aged 13 to 20 from different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. All participants had consumed at least one alcoholic drink in the previous month.

The results showed that almost 70% had drunk either beer or hard liquor, and half had consumed a flavoured alcoholic drink. When it came to beer, Bud Light was the favourite, with Budweiser coming in second place. Budweiser was also the third most popular brand out of all alcoholic drinks, with Smirnoff vodkas and Jack Daniel's bourbons taking the top spots for hard liquor.

The top 25 brands accounted for about half of all alcohol consumption by volume among the adolescents surveyed. This finding highlights the brand loyalty of young drinkers, who are not just drinking the cheapest alcohol available. In fact, underage drinkers also consume pricey hard liquor, such as Grey Goose vodka, and sweet malt beverages that mask the taste of alcohol with fruit flavours.

While Budweiser is a popular beer choice among young adults, it's important to note that underage drinking is a serious public health concern. Alcohol is the most widely used substance among America's youth and can cause significant health and safety risks. Binge drinking, defined as consuming multiple drinks in one sitting, is also prevalent among young people and can lead to dangerous consequences.

To address this issue, various intervention strategies can be implemented, including individual-level, school-based, family-based, community-based, and policy-level interventions. By educating young people about the dangers of alcohol, improving access to alternative beverages, and enforcing stricter regulations, we can work towards reducing the harmful effects of underage drinking.

Underage drinkers' binge drinking

Binge drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States, with alcohol being the most widely used substance among American youth. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more standard drinks per occasion for men and four or more drinks for women. Although underage drinkers may drink less often than adults, they tend to consume larger quantities of alcohol per occasion. This behaviour has been associated with a range of acute alcohol-related harms, such as alcohol poisoning, injuries, and accidents resulting from acute intoxication.

Underage binge drinking is a significant issue, with approximately 90% of all alcohol consumed by youth occurring during binge drinking episodes. In 2023, 3.3 million young people aged 12 to 20 reported binge drinking at least once in the past month, and 663,000 reported binge drinking on five or more days during that same period. This behaviour is not limited to a specific age group within the underage population, as it has been observed in individuals as young as 12 to 13 years old.

Several factors contribute to underage binge drinking. Firstly, adolescents may seek to exert their independence and engage in risky behaviours, such as drinking alcohol. Secondly, they may have easy access to alcohol, often obtaining it for free from family members or finding it at home. Thirdly, there may be a lack of knowledge about standard drink servings, leading to overpouring and increased consumption. Finally, peer influence and social contexts, such as drinking at parties or bars, can encourage binge drinking.

The consequences of underage binge drinking can be severe and affect not only the drinkers but also their families, peers, and communities. It can cause aggressive behaviour, property damage, injuries, violence, and even death. Additionally, it increases the risk of physical and sexual assault and is associated with a higher likelihood of being a victim or perpetrator of interpersonal violence. Underage binge drinking can also lead to problems at school and with the law and increase the risk of developing alcohol use disorders later in life.

To address this issue, prevention and intervention efforts should be coordinated across multiple levels, including individuals, families, communities, and national policies. These efforts should begin in late childhood and be tailored to address specific risks associated with different developmental periods and circumstances. Additionally, routine alcohol screening and brief interventions for youth, along with supportive guidance for parents and caregivers, can be effective strategies.

Youth drinking: a public health problem

Alcohol is the most widely used substance among young people in the United States, and underage drinking poses significant health and safety risks. It is a serious public health issue that affects everyone, regardless of age or drinking status. The consequences of youth drinking can be seen in aggressive behaviour, property damage, injuries, violence, and deaths. Underage drinking is not just a problem for certain families but a nationwide concern.

A 2023 survey found that about 19.9% of youth aged 14 to 15 had consumed at least one alcoholic drink in their lifetime, and 5.6 million young people aged 12 to 20 reported drinking beyond "just a few sips" in the past month. Alcohol use often begins during adolescence and becomes more likely as young people age. Implementing prevention strategies during early adolescence is crucial to curb this escalation, as early alcohol use is associated with a higher likelihood of alcohol-related consequences.

Underage drinking poses a range of risks and negative consequences. Firstly, it causes many deaths, including from motor vehicle crashes, homicides, alcohol overdoses, falls, burns, drowning, and suicides. Secondly, it leads to injuries, with approximately 188,000 people under 21 visiting emergency rooms for alcohol-related injuries in 2011 alone. Thirdly, it impairs judgment, leading to poor decisions about taking risks, such as unsafe sexual behaviour, drinking and driving, and aggressive or violent behaviour. Fourthly, it increases the risk of physical and sexual assault, with binge drinking associated with a higher likelihood of being a victim or perpetrator of interpersonal violence.

Additionally, underage drinking can cause trouble in school or with the law and is linked to the use of other substances. Research also shows that starting to drink alcohol before the age of 15 increases the risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life. Alcohol can interfere with brain development, potentially affecting both brain structure and function, which may cause cognitive or learning problems and increase vulnerability to alcohol use disorders.

So, what are young people drinking? Well, it varies. While beer is the favourite alcoholic beverage of underage drinkers, with Bud Light being the most popular, spirits are more popular overall, accounting for 43.8% of binge drinking. Vodka and whiskey are the spirits of choice, with Smirnoff and Jack Daniel's being the top two brands. Young people also drink sweet, fruity malt beverages, with Smirnoff Ice being a popular choice.

Underage drinking is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach to prevent it. Strategies such as individual-level, school-based, family-based, community-based, and policy-level interventions have been found to be successful in curbing underage drinking. It is important to address this issue to protect the health and safety of young people and mitigate the wide-ranging negative consequences of alcohol consumption.

Youth drinking: alcohol's effects on health

Drinking alcohol is very common among young people, with beer being the most popular alcoholic beverage for underage drinkers. A nationwide survey of underage drinkers found that their favourite beer was Budweiser, with Bud Light and Coors Light coming in second and third place.

However, underage drinking can have serious health consequences. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down the function of the central nervous system, blocking messages to the brain and altering a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. In large amounts, alcohol causes intoxication, which can result in confusion, disorientation, staggering, loss of coordination, and slurred speech. It can also dramatically slow reaction times, which is why drunk driving is so dangerous.

Drinking excessively, either on a single occasion or over time, can have serious health effects. Alcohol interferes with the brain's communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can cause long-term changes in mood and behaviour, as well as making it harder to think clearly and move with coordination. Research has shown that people who start drinking heavily at a young age are more likely to suffer from alcohol-related problems later in life.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol can also damage the heart, leading to problems such as stretched and drooping heart muscle, irregular heartbeat, and high blood pressure. It can also take a toll on the liver, causing a variety of problems including steatosis, or fatty liver. Alcohol also affects the pancreas, causing it to produce toxic substances that can lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation that causes swelling, pain, and impaired enzyme and hormone production.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there is a strong scientific consensus that alcohol drinking can cause several types of cancer. The evidence indicates that the more a person drinks, the higher their risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer. Even those who have just one drink per day or engage in binge drinking have a modestly increased risk of some cancers.

Underage drinking can also increase the risk of injuries and deaths from motor vehicle crashes, homicides, alcohol overdoses, falls, burns, drowning, and suicides. It impairs judgment, leading to poor decisions about taking risks, and increases the risk of physical and sexual assault. Additionally, drinking may cause youth to have trouble in school and can be a factor in the use of other substances.

Youth drinking: reasons and prevention

Alcohol consumption among young people is a significant public health concern, and understanding why adolescents drink is essential for developing effective prevention strategies. Research has shown that underage drinking is influenced by various factors, including personal, social, and environmental elements.

Reasons for Youth Drinking

• Personal Influences: Rebelliousness, a tendency to tolerate deviance, a strong value for independence and non-conformance, low school commitment and achievement, positive beliefs about alcohol, and a lack of self-efficacy to refuse alcohol are all factors that contribute to youth drinking.
• Social Influences: These include low socioeconomic status, minimal parental education, family disruption and conflict, weak family bonds, low parental supervision, parental permissiveness, family history of alcoholism, peer alcohol use, and perceived adult and peer approval of drinking.
• Environmental Influences: The legal, economic, physical, and social availability of alcohol, as well as cultural norms surrounding its use, are critical factors. The more readily available alcohol is to young people, the more likely they are to consume it.

Prevention Strategies

Prevention strategies should address these various influences and aim to delay the initiation of alcohol consumption among young people. Here are some approaches:

• School-Based Programs: These programs aim to reduce the onset and prevalence of youth alcohol use by addressing personal and social risk factors. Successful programs include Life Skills Training, Project Northland, and the Midwestern Prevention Project, which provide drug-resistance skills training and improve social and emotional development.
• Extracurricular Strategies: Providing positive adult role models, incorporating skills-building activities, and offering alternative programs that provide appealing activities can help prevent underage drinking.
• Family-Focused Prevention: This strategy involves improving parent-child relationships, providing consistent discipline, monitoring children's activities, and strengthening family bonding. Programs like Preparing for the Drug-Free Years and the Iowa Strengthening Families Program have shown positive results.
• Policy and Community Strategies: Increasing the minimum legal drinking age, reducing the commercial and social access of alcohol to adolescents, and making alcohol less economically available through higher taxes and restricted sales have been effective in reducing underage drinking.

By combining these strategies and addressing the multifaceted influences on youth drinking, we can create a comprehensive approach to prevent and reduce alcohol consumption among young people, promoting healthier behaviors and outcomes.

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