“If I wanna get really drunk I would drink vodka”: drink choices associated with acute intoxication for young Australians

Abstract

Background: While survey data can provide information on alcohol products favoured by those who drink to intoxication, it is more difficult to get information on what they drink when they are consuming at a level which places them at high risk of harm. Objectives: To use complementary quantitative and qualitative data to investigate what young risky drinkers drink, and what they drink when they are drinking heavily. Methods: Three thousand, two hundred and twenty-six respondents aged 18–24 from the Australian state of Victoria answered questions in the Victorian youth alcohol and drug survey on their drinking habits and usual drinking choice. Sixty qualitative interviews were also conducted with Victorian 18–24-year olds. In each study, regular drinkers to acute intoxication (RDAIs), those who drank more than 10 Australian standard drinks in a session and drank to the point of forgetting afterwards, were compared to those who did not meet both of these criteria. Results: RDAIs were more likely to drink beer, cask wine, spirits and ready to drink spirits; however, they also consumed more drink types than non-RDAIs. Qualitative interviews highlighted spirits, particularly shots, as a popular drink of choice when intoxication was the aim and or/outcome. Conclusion: Young people appear to prefer spirits when intending to get drunk, however, there is also evidence to show that RDAIs will drink whatever is to hand. Motives behind drink choice for RDAIs include the value for money, where the value is gauged by the amount of alcohol per drink or by the speed of intoxication.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• binge drinking
• young people

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by an Australian Research Council grant (LP 100100017). We acknowledge financial contributions from VicHealth and the Victorian Department of Health, and in-kind contributions from the National Drug Research Institute, Hume City Council, Yarra City Council and the Municipal Association of Victoria. Christine Sikou and Mutsumi Karasaki conducted some of the qualitative research interviews. We also thank David Moore and Robin Room for their guidance of the project on which this study draws. SC's time on the study was funded by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, an independent, charitable organisation working to prevent the harmful use of alcohol in Australia (www.fare.org.au).

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Notes

¹Ready-to-drink beverages or premixed spirits, often sweetened (also known as “alcopops”).

² Two-for = two for the price of one.