Binge Drinking – Survey Results

eDigitalResearch carried out the ‘Binge Drinking survey on 23-24 March 2004. There were 1,039 responses during this fieldwork period. The questionnaire asked for views about prevalence of binge drinking, the responsibilities of pubs and clubs, government proposals to curb binge drinking, personal experience of trouble fuelled by alcohol, and personal drinking habits.

(PRWEB) March 27, 2004 --Background to research

Government concern about growing street violence, believed to be fuelled by excessive alcohol consumption, especially among young people, has led to calls for tighter restrictions on licensing laws and for local authorities to place greater pressure on pubs and clubs to do more to promote responsible drinking. Some of the strongest critics have called for even more draconian steps, including a ban on so-called ‘happy hours, which often last for more than an hour and encourage excessive alcohol consumption.

eDigitalResearch carried out the ‘Binge Drinking survey on 23-24 March 2004. There were 1,039 responses during this fieldwork period. The questionnaire asked for views about prevalence of binge drinking, the responsibilities of pubs and clubs, government proposals to curb binge drinking, personal experience of trouble fuelled by alcohol, and personal drinking habits.

Occurrence of Binge Drinking
When asked whether people today drink alcohol to excess more than was true 20 years ago, a majority of respondents (67%) felt that drinking to excess is more commonplace today. Nearly three out of the 1039 (29%) felt that the position is unchanged from 20 years, and just a small minority (4%) felt that drinking to excess is less prevalent today.

Government concerns centre on the effects of excessive alcohol consumption among teenagers and young adults. But with which age group do the public associate this problem the most? When asked in which age bracket would they place the greatest binge drinkers today, a significant majority of respondents (83%) chose the 18 to 25 year olds. The only other age group selected to any notable degree was the 26 to 35 year olds (13%).

Then, when asked whether they thought that most people today drink alcohol sensibly or drink too much, a narrow majority (55%) believed that most drink sensibly. A significant minority of respondents (37%) believed that most people drink too much.

Responsibilities of Licensed Premises

While a number of causes exist for binge drinking, growing attention has been focused on licensed premises and the schemes they use to promote sales of alcoholic drinks and, therefore, alcohol consumption. When panellists were asked whether they thought pubs and bars could do more to control excessive drinking, most (69%) answered yes they could. Under one in four (23%) answered no.

Most respondents (57%) also agreed that happy hours play a major part in encouraging people to drink too much, with one in three (34%) disagreeing with this view. Despite the perceived role of happy hours in promoting heavy drinking, most respondents (66%) did not think that such promotions should be banned. Only a minority (21%) supported such a drastic sanction.

A significant majority of respondents (82%), however, did believe that pubs and bars could do more to ensure that under-age drinkers dont get served, with just over one in ten (11%) saying that such licensed premises could do no more than they already do.

Licensing Hours
One school of thought has argued that all-day drinking might reduce drunkenness on the streets because the drunks would be encouraged to stay in the pub and drink. If there is no closing time there will be no spillage of drunks onto the streets. Opinions about allowing pubs and clubs to remain open 24 hours a day were divided among the respondents to this survey. One in two (50%) supported this policy, and a significant minority (35%) opposed it.

Policing
Street disturbances might be reduced if there was a greater police presence on the ground. Most respondents (63%) agreed that putting more police on the streets will go a long way towards reducing violence caused by drunkenness. Just over one in four (26%) disagreed.

Putting more police on the streets, however, could be costly. One solution that has been floated is that pubs and clubs should pay compulsory fees to cover the extra costs of policing trouble spots fuelled by excessive alcohol consumption. Once again, a clear majority of respondents (65%) agreed with this solution, with just over one in four (27%) rejecting it.

Controls over Licensed Premises
Another possible step that could be taken to combat trouble caused by binge drinking might be to reduce or at least not to increase the numbers of licensed premises in city and town centres. There was prevalent opposition (71%) to the idea of reducing the numbers of licensed premises, and only minority support for it (19%).

Opinions were more divided on the suggestion that no new licence applications should be awarded in any part of the country unless applicants can prove that their premises will not add to the problems caused by drinking. A majority of respondents opposed this step (55%), but there were many others (33%) who supported it. A few (12%) were undecided.

Local Troubles
It is one thing to support or oppose steps to combat binge drinking in the abstract, but what do people feel about this problem when it occurs on their own doorstep? One in three respondents (33%) said they had experienced problems or disturbances caused by excessive drinking near where they lived in the past six months. Most respondents (67%) had not had this experience.        
    
There were more mixed opinions concerning how respondents thought they would react to a new licensed premise applying to open up near where they lived. Over one in two (57%) said they would support this application, while over four in ten (43%) said they would oppose it.

Television Advertising of Alcoholic Drinks
Another area of concern in the debate about binge drinking is the advertising of alcoholic beverages, especially on television. Such advertising is accused of encouraging young people to drink to excess by promises of attractive lifestyles or social or financial success that are symbolically associated with advertised brands. But how much impact is television advertising believed to have on alcohol consumption and should the level of alcohol advertising on television be reduced?

A clear majority of respondents (63%) believed that the advertising of alcoholic drinks on television did not have a significant effect on how much people drink, with a minority (37%) saying they believed that such advertising did have an effect. There was also a narrow majority who rejected the idea that the level of alcohol advertising on television should be reduced (53% rejected this idea, 47% accepted it).

Personal Alcohol Consumption
Respondents were asked to estimate their own consumption of alcohol in terms of units per week, where one unit equals a half pint of standard strength beer or lager, a small glass of wine or a single measure of a spirit. A small minority of respondents (6%) were non-drinkers. More than four in ten (43%) were light drinkers and reportedly drank less than 10 units per week. Nearly three in ten (29%) were moderate drinkers and said they consumer between 10 and 19 units per week. Around one in seven (14%) were moderately heavy drinkers, claiming to consume 20 to 29 units per week. A minority (8%) were heavy drinkers reportedly consuming 30 or more units on average per week.

The Sample
The sample comprised more males (62%) than females (38%). The age distribution was: 18-24s (9.9%), 25-34s (27.0%), 35-44s (23.6%), 45-54s (21.5%), 55-64s (12.9%), 65+s (5.0%).