How Do You Prefer to Binge Drink?

By Abigail

Have you always imagined beer being a juvenile drink of choice? You know, the first thing you are able to buy with a fake id at the convenience store and the mainstay of colleges across the nation?

I always imagined a “mature” adult being the one to order vodka on the rocks or some sort of hardcore liquor. Well, it’s time for all of us to throw those notions out the window. Recent studies conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have found that adult binge drinkers actually prefer beer, and teens are the ones into the “hard stuff”.

Why might this be?

According to a CNN article, researchers speculate that a possible reason is, for adults, beer is cheaper and easy to find, sold in gas stations and grocery stores. However, for teens, it may be easier to filch free booze from their parents’ liquor cupboards.

When I really think about it, the results make sense. It seems so much more exciting and rebellious to drink liquor before you are 21, instead of a plain old beer. Also, in terms of adults, it is socially acceptable to have a beer with dinner or a glass of wine. But, if an adult is like, “Pass me the vodka,” everyone looks at him/her and thinks, “Whoa, what’s wrong with them? They must have had a rough day.”

And just in case you forgot, CNN reminds us that, “Binge drinking” no matter which type of alcohol, is bad for your health. Excessive alcohol is acutely dangerous because of its role in car crashes, violence and other traumatic injury, and is blamed for 75,000 deaths annually.

Although I find the results of this study interesting, I can’t help but wonder why this study was conducted or funded? Aren’t there more important things we can put our money towards nowadays instead of evaluating our country’s preference of booze when binge drinking?

Just a thought.