Hopkins study correlates age with alcoholic drink preference

Walk around the periphery of the Hopkins campus on any Friday or Saturday night, and you are likely to see flocks of underclassmen scurrying into one of many fraternity houses. For most of these students, their mission upon arriving at their destination is simple: obtain and consume alcohol.

It is no secret that underage drinking is a widespread among high school and college students across the nation. According to recent reports, more than 70 percent of high school students have consumed alcohol and about 22 percent report engagement in heavy episodic drinking. Each year, approximately 4,300 deaths are attributed to underage alcohol consumption. Furthermore, underage drinking costs an estimated 24.6 billion dollars annually.

However, in terms of the brands of alcohol consumed, underage youth are not simply copying their over-21 peers. A team of researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has published the first ever study that compares brand-specific consumption of alcohol between underage youth and adults. Their study, published in Substance Abuse, found that several brands including Keystone Light, Bacardi, Malibu, Captain Morgan and Smirnoff, seem to be disproportionately consumed by young drinkers.

In their study, the researchers used three data sources to estimate youth, adult and overall consumption of alcohol by brand: a 2012 internet-based survey of underage drinkers ages 13-20; GFK MRI’s Survey of the Adult Consumer for the years 2010-2012, which provided brand-specific consumption data for adults; and national data compiled by Impact Databank that estimates overall market shares for each brand. The researchers calculated the prevalence ratio for each brand. This ratio compares the percent of youth that reported drinking the brand to the percent of adults who consume the brand, as reported by market research. After analysis and comparison of the brand-specific drinking patterns of adults and underage youth, the researchers assessed brand preferences of youth. They wanted to know whether young drinkers were simply mimicking adult drinking habits or if they had unique preferences for alcoholic beverages.

The results of the study show that 15 leading brands were preferentially consumed by underage youth: Smirnoff Malt Beverages, Jack Daniels Whiskeys, Mike’s Malt Beverages, Absolut Vodkas, Heineken, Bacardi Malt Beverages, Grey Goose Vodkas, Malibu Rums, Keystone Light, Patron Tequilas, Corona Extra Light, Jack Daniel’s Cocktails, Burnett’s Vodkas, Bud Ice and Natural Ice. The top brand for youth in terms of prevalence and market share compared with adults was Smirnoff Malt Beverages, with 17 percent of underage drinkers, ages 13-20, reporting to have consumed Smirnoff Malt Beverages in the past month. The researchers caution that the findings of their study are not sufficient to verify the reasons behind the differences in youth and adult alcohol brand preferences.

Given the results of this study, it is probably safe to assume that the vast majority of underage drinkers seeking their fix of alcoholic beverages are not donning suits and evening gowns to sneak into high-end restaurants to sip Merlot or Chardonnay.