18-24s Drinking Habits - UK

Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd.

Published: Jun. 1, 2010 - 114 Pages

Table of Contents

USING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO CAPTURE 18-24S

Definition

Abbreviations

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Encouraging a balance

There’s such a thing as balanced drinking

…and balanced drinks

Targeting the ego to reduce binging

SUMMARISING THE DRINKING HABITS OF 18-24-YEAR-OLDS

Binge drinking is a major problem…

…For multiple reasons

The recession forces 18-24-year-olds to stay at home

Following 18-24-year-old drinkers through the week

18-24S’ DRINKING IN CONTEXT

Key points

18-24s are a small but vital segment

Figure 1: Size and gender breakdown of 18-24-year-old population in UK, 2005-10

Excessive drinking is a feature of all age groups, not just 18-24s

Figure 2: Drinking habits, by where they drink - over-18s and 18-24s, 2009

...however, drinking among 18-24s is more visible

Figure 3: Visiting a pub/bar for a drink or a meal the past 12 months - over-18s and 18-24s, 2009

They will take vodka and lager over wine

Figure 4: Drinks usage - over-18s and 18-24s, 2009

The sweeter the taste, the more effective the disguise

ARE DEFINITIONS OF OVER-DRINKING A HELP OR HINDRANCE?

Key points

Few people understand how easy it is to binge drink…

…as a result 18-24s seriously underestimate how often they binge drink

Figure 5: Agreement with whether they are a binge drinker - all 18-24s compared to 18-24s who have binge drunk in the past month, March 2010

Such confusion leads to personal and idiosyncratic definitions

Drinking over the recommended weekly amount

Mixed messages about health do not help

18-24S AND EXCESSIVE DRINKING: HOW BAD IS IT?

Key points

Binge drinking is an endemic problem among 18-24s - both men and women

There is a gap between perception and reality…

…particularly for young men and 22-24s

Figure 6: Perception of binge drinking compared to actual binge drinking, by gender and age, March 2010

Why do men and 22-24s underestimate their binge drinking so badly?

Figure 7: Difference between perception of drinking as negative versus positive, by gender and age, March 2010

Extreme binge drinking among 18-24s is the major problem to be tackled…

Figure 8: Number of alcoholic drinks on a typical night of drinking, March 2010

…with over half of 18-24s being ‘extreme’ binge drinkers

Figure 9: Extreme binge drinkers†, by gender and age, March 2010

Bingeing is a much larger issue than drinking over weekly allowance

Figure 10: Binge drinkers compared to those who drink beyond their recommended weekly allowance, March 2010

Number of 18-24s who drink beyond their weekly limit is relatively low

Figure 11: Days of alcohol drinking in a typical week - all 18-24s compared to those 18-24s who drink above their recommended weekly allowance, March 2010

WHAT CAUSES EXCESSIVE DRINKING AMONG 18-24S?

Key points

Young people have no idea how easy it is to binge drink

Figure 12: Strongest attitudes towards alcohol drinking, March 2010

Drinks have more units of alcohol than ever before

Figure 13: Trends for alcohol consumption compared to strength of alcohol ABV, 1998-2008

Lack of alcohol appreciation makes drinking a means to an end

Binge drinking made worse by having too much time on their hands?

Figure 14: Proportion of extreme binge drinkers who are students or full-time workers, March 2010

Its after effects mean binge drinking has to be very calculated

Figure 15: Proportion of 18-24s who cited it being a school/work night as a reason for not drinking, depending on which night of the week it was, March 2010

The positives of drinking outweigh the negatives

Figure 16: Reason for drinking or not drinking, March 2010

Targeting health concerns and ways of resisting coercion

Men aged 18-24 under slightly more social pressure to drink...

Figure 17: Net difference between male and female agreement with statements about drinking, March 2010

Women aged 18-24 are more sensitive to the downsides of alcohol

Figure 18: Net difference between women’s and men’s attitudes towards alcohol drinking, March 2010

Young women pressured to go against their better judgement

For binge drinkers, the fun outweighs functionality

Figure 19: Net difference between attitudes towards drinking - binge drinkers and extreme binge drinkers compared to the average, March 2010

Deconstructing the rose-tinted view that getting drunk is always fun…

Lack of other compromise options for the group

HOW HAS THE RECESSION AFFECTED 18-24S’ DRINKING HABITS?

Key points

Drinking drops among 18-24s…

Figure 20: How drinking frequency has changed for 18-24s in the past year, March 2010

…particularly for older and female 18-24s

Figure 21: Those who have drunk less alcohol in the past year, by gender and age, March 2010

Health/dieting concerns combine with recession to dissuade drinkers

It’s hard to cut down on a necessity

Figure 22: Attitudes towards drinking - those who have drunk less alcohol over the past year, March 2010

Economic downturn forces many to change their drinking strategy

Figure 23: Net difference between agreement and disagreement with statements about how drinking behaviour has changed in the past year, March 2010

Binge drinkers less likely to have changed their ways

Figure 24: How drinking behaviour has changed in the past year - binge drinkers compared to non-binge drinkers, March 2010

Not all 18-24s are price-savvy when it comes to in-home drinking

Figure 25: How 18-24s compare drinking at home to drinking out, March 2010

Out-of-home drinking still the preference…

…however, pubs are far from universally liked by 18-24s

Overall younger people are not likely to drink a greater volume at home…

…but cheap booze does encourage 18-20-year-olds to drink to excess

Figure 26: Agreement with the statement ‘I can drink more at home because it’s cheaper’, by age, March 2010

Men aged 18-24 more experimental when drinking in home

Figure 27: Net difference between men and women aged 18-24 in attitudes towards drinking at home instead of out of home, March 2010

18-24S AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS GETTING DRUNK

Key points

They are ambivalent about getting drunk...

Figure 28: Attitudes towards getting drunk, March 2010

...or rather women tend to be negative and men positive

Figure 29: Net difference between men and women’s attitudes towards getting drunk, March 2010

Men see getting drunk as an important social tool

Drinkers fall into four strong attitudinal groups

Figure 30: Size of the four drinking attitudinal groups, March 2010

Drinking Has Social Benefits (10%, 600,000 of UK 18-24 population)

Shaped by Booze Culture (12%, 720,000 of UK 18-24 population)

Figure 31: Analysis of differing attitudes towards getting drunk between Shaped by Booze Culture and Drinking Has Social Benefits, March 2010

Wary About Drinking (16%, 960,000 of UK 18-24 population)

Drinking Is Good For The Soul (9%, 540,000 of UK 18-24 population)

Figure 32: Analysis of differing attitudes towards getting drunk between Drinking Is Good For The Soul and Wary About Drinking, March 2010

DIARY OF A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF 18-24-YEAR-OLD DRINKERS

Key points

A quick word on the methodology

On which nights are they drinking?

Figure 33: Proportion of respondents drinking alcohol, by day of the week, March 2010

How late are they drinking?

Figure 34: Proportion of respondents who were drinking at 10 p.m., and who were drinking earlier, by day of the week, March 2010

When do they not feel like drinking?

Figure 35: Proportion of respondents who did not drink because they did not feel like it, by days of the week, March 2010

When do they not drink because it’s a work/school night?

Figure 36: Proportion of respondents who do not drink because it’s a work/school night, by days of the week, March 2010

When do they not drink because they are just hanging out at home?

Figure 37: Proportion of respondents who do not drink because they are hanging out at home, by day of the week, March 2010

Where do they drink?

Figure 38: Venues at which respondents drank alcochol throughout the course of the week, March 2010

Who do they drink with?

Figure 39: Who respondents drank alcohol with throughout the course of the week, March 2010

What do they drink?

Figure 40: Which alcoholic drinks respondents drank throughout the week, March 2010

Why were they drinking a particular type of alcoholic drink?

Figure 41: Reasons why respondents were drinking a particular drink, March 2010

How attitudes to being drunk differ depending on drinking or not drinking

Figure 42: How attitudes to drinking differ depending on whether respondents are drinking or not, March 2010

FOLLOWING THE DRINKING HABITS OF 18-24-YEAR-OLD CONSUMER GROUPS THROUGH THE WEEK

Key points

A word on methodology

Drinking Is Good for the Soul - who are they?

Drinking Is Good For The Soul - following their drinking habits through the week

Figure 43: Following the drinking habits of the Drinking Is Good For The Soul group throughout the week, March 2010

Drinking Has Social Benefits - who are they?

Drinking Has Social Benefits - following their drinking habits through the week

Figure 44: Following the drinking habits of the Drinking Has Social benefits group throughout the week, March 2010

Wary About Drinking - who are they?

Wary About Drinking - following their drinking habits through the week

Figure 45: Following the drinking habits of the Wary About Drinking group throughout the week, March 2010

Shaped By Booze Culture - who are they?

Shaped By Booze Culture - following their drinking habits through the week

Figure 46: Following the drinking habits of the Shaped By Booze Culture group throughout the week, March 2010

18-24-year-old men - following their drinking habits through the week

Figure 47: Following the drinking habits of 18-24-year-old men throughout the week, March 2010

18-24-year-old women - following their drinking habits through the week

Figure 48: Following the drinking habits of 18-24-year-old women throughout the week, March 2010

18-20-year-olds - following their drinking habits through the week

21-24-year-olds - following their drinking habits through the week

Figure 49: Following the drinking habits of 21-24-year-olds throughout the week, March 2010

APPENDIX - 18-24S’ DRINKING IN CONTEXT

Figure 50: Attitudes towards alcohol - over-18s and 18-24s, 2009

Figure 51: Agreement with lifestyle statements on drinks, by demographics, 2009

Figure 52: Agreement with lifestyle statements on drinks, by demographics, 2009 (continued)

APPENDIX - 18-24S AND BINGE DRINKING: HOW BAD IS IT?

Figure 53: Binge drinkers and non-binge drinkers, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 54: Binge drinkers and non-binge drinkers in the past month, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 55: Extreme binge drinkers and non-extreme binge drinkers in the past month, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 56: Number of nights a week on which alcohol is consumed, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 57: Number of nights a week on which alcohol is consumed, by demographics, March 2010 (continued)

Figure 58: Number of alcoholic drinks on a typical night, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 59: Number of alcoholic drinks on a typical night, by demographics, March 2010 (continued)

Figure 60: Those who have drunk ten or more alcoholic drinks in the past month, by gender, age and working status, March 2010

APPENDIX - WHAT CAUSES EXCESSIVE DRINKING AMONG 18-24S?

Figure 61: Most popular attitudes towards alcohol drinking, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 62: Next most popular attitudes towards alcohol drinking, by demographics, March 2010

APPENDIX - HOW HAS THE RECESSION AFFECTED 18-24S’ DRINKING HABITS?

Figure 63: Changes in alcohol drinking behaviour in the past year, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 64: Changes in alcohol drinking behaviour in the past year, by demographics, March 2010 (continued)

Figure 65: Changes in alcohol drinking behaviour in the past year, by demographics, March 2010 (continued)

Figure 66: Comparison between at-home drinking compared to out-of-home drinking, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 67: Comparison between at-home drinking compared to out-of-home drinking, by demographics, March 2010 (continued)

Figure 68: Body Mass Index for 18-24s, 2009

APPENDIX - 18-24S AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS GETTING DRUNK

Figure 69: Attitudes towards getting drunk, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 70: Attitudes towards getting drunk, by demographics, March 2010 (continued)

Figure 71: Attitudes towards getting drunk, by demographics, March 2010 (continued)

Figure 72: Attitudinal groups, by demographics, March 2010

Figure 73: Proportion of attitudinal groups who binge drink on a regular basis, March 2010

Figure 74: Proportion of attitudinal groups who extreme binge† drink on a regular basis, March 2010

Figure 75: Attitudinal groups and their agreement with general statements about drinking, March 2010

Figure 76: Attitudinal groups and the proportion who drink on each day of the week, March 2010

Figure 77: Attitudinal groups and the net difference between those whose drinking behaviour has increased and decreased over the past year, March 2010

APPENDIX: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Abstract

Binge drinking (defined by the government/NHS as 6 units in one session for women and 8 for men) is rife among 18-24-year-olds, with four in five of this age group exceeding the recommended limit on a regular basis.

Although the drivers of binge drinking among the young is multi-faceted, lack of awareness about how easy it is to drink excessively is undoubtedly a major cause. For example, more than half of regular binge drinkers are unwittingly so, and many 18-24-year-olds believe binge drinking means losing control of one’s senses as opposed to having as little as two large glasses of wine (for a woman) or three pints of premium-strength lager (for a man).

Younger women are just as likely to binge drink as younger men. But men, particularly those aged 18-20, are much more likely to drink regularly to greater extremes, ie twice or three times over the binge drinking limit.

For younger men, drinking, and indeed getting drunk, is seen both as more fun and more of a crucial social crutch than is the case for women. In contrast, younger women have more internal conflict about excessive drinking, and are particularly concerned about its implications for their weight and general health.

The harsh economic climate of the past year has had a significant impact on the drinking habits of 18-24-year-olds. The recession has resulted in young people cutting back. But they are also opting for more affordable ways of drinking such as buying cheaper drinks, spending more time drinking in-home than out, and not drinking every single time they go out.

The majority of 18-24-year-olds drank on only one or two nights a week, at which point they would drink to excess. As a result, Friday and Saturday night drinking was most popular to allow for ‘recovery days’ when they did not have to work or study.

About MarketResearch.com
MarketResearch.com is an online aggregator selling over 400,000 market research reports, company profiles and country profiles from over 720 research firms. Our reports will provide you with the critical business and competitive intelligence you need for strategic planning and marketing research. Coverage includes the US, UK, Europe, Asia and global markets.