Young people, alcohol, and designer drinks: quantitative and qualitative study

Abstract Objective: To examine the appeal of “designer drinks” to young people. Design: Qualitative and quantitative research comprising group discussions and questionnaire led interviews with young people accompanied by a self completion questionnaire. Settings: Argyll and Clyde Health Board area west Scotland. Subjects: Eight groups aged 12-17 years; 824 aged 12-17 recruited by multistage cluster probability sample from the community health index. Results: Young people were familiar with designer drinks especially MD 20/20 and leading brands of strong white cider. Attitudes towards these drinks varied quite distinctly with age clearly reflecting their attitudes towards and motivations for drinking in general. The brand imagery of designer drinks–in contrast with that of more mainstream drinks–matched many 14 and 15 year olds' perceptions and expectations of drinking. Popularity of designer drinks peaked between the ages of 13 and 16 while more conventional drinks showed a consistent increase in popularity with age. Consumption of designer drinks tended to be in less controlled circumstances and was associated with heavier alcohol intake and greater drunkenness. Conclusions: Designer drinks are a cause for concern. They appeal to young people often more so than conventional drinks and are particularly attractive to 14-16 year olds. Consumption of designer drinks is also associated with drinking in less controlled environments heavier drinking and greater drunkenness. There is a need for policy debate to assess the desirability of these drinks and the extent to which further controls on their marketing are required. Key messages There has been concern that designer drinks might have a particular appeal for teenagers and be legitimising under age drinking Young people aged 14 and 15 years want drinks to be relatively strong inexpensive and pleasant tasting Designer drinks are seen by 14 and 15 year olds to have these qualities and as a result are particularly appealing By contrast for 16 and 17 year olds many designer drinks signal under age drinking and immaturity Consumption of designer drinks is associated with heavier alcohol consumption drinking in less controlled environments and greater drunkenness