Binge drinking is a widespread problem in the underage drinker category. Even though the minimum legal age for consuming alcohol in the United States is 21, there are far too many teenagers who not only drink alcohol, but also consume excessive amounts of alcohol. According to a new study, when teenagers drink excessive amounts of alcohol, they are also very picky about the brand they drink.
The researchers say that they have managed to narrow down and identify those brands that are most popular with underage binge drinkers. The study was conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Boston University. The researchers found in their analysis that binge drinking or excessive drinking or the consumption of five or more drinks in in a single session is highly prevalent among the 13- to 20 age group. About 67% of all alcoholic drinks that were consumed by persons in this age category were consumed as part of binge drinking sessions.
Binge drinking is a worrisome underage behavior, because it leads to all kinds of dangerous practices. Persons who are heavily intoxicated are more likely to be involved in sexual assaults, rapes or other crimes. They are also much more likely to get behind the wheel in an impaired condition, and be arrested for DUI. Binge drinkers are also at a much higher risk of causing serious accidents.
The binge drinkers in the study seemed to have a specific reference for Bud light, Jack Daniel bourbons, Smirnoff beverages, and Budweiser. At least 14% of the underage drinkers admitted that they had drunk Bud light in excess on at least on one occasion. 7% reported drinking Jack Daniels bourbons on at least one binge drinking session. It's worth asking whether these brands are very popular among underage drinkers because of subliminal messages that are contained in advertising targeting this age group.
