Saving money is creating another problem, research shows

BERN, SWITZERLAND – Young people in Switzerland are doubling their alcohol input by “predrinking” at home before going out, shows new research by Swiss Addition, funded by the National Science Institute.

A study of 1,441 people between 20 and 26, designed to draw a clearer picture of young people’s drinking habits, looked at what they are drinking, when and where, and in what quantities. Concerned about the price of drinks, young people are increasingly drinking at home before going out for the evening. The result is not, as is commonly believed, that they drink less while out for the evening, but that they nearly double their consumption. The amount of alcohol consumed during an evening that is limited to drinking in bars and clubs is 4.1 glasses per evening, while an evening that starts with drinking at home ends with 7.2 glasses consumed.

Addiction Swiss is calling for preventive measures that more precisely target the trend, especially in creating greater awareness of the implications of pre-drinking.