Consumers are looking to enjoy alcohol in moderation

Heeding the message
Alcohol misuse is seemingly on a par with obesity in terms of the escalating scrutiny and debate surrounding the issue and it seems that many are heeding this message.

“The excessive over-consumption of alcohol continues to receive plentiful media coverage in a number of countries, along with the financial and physical costs associated with such behaviour increasingly documented. However, this does not portray a fully accurate picture of alcohol consumption” comments Matthew Taylor, Datamonitor consumer markets analyst and author of the report.

Better awareness leads to more responsible consumption

The levels of awareness of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption have increased among many consumers. The table below illustrates that over half of all consumers worldwide are giving at least a high amount of their attention to ensuring that they do not drink too much alcohol in general. This demonstrates that many consumers are taking personal responsibility for their levels of alcohol consumption and some have reduced their intake accordingly.

Some consumers continue to choose to refrain completely from consuming alcohol and tougher economic conditions could see an increase in this tendency. The prevalence for abstention generally increases with age, although young adults are now the most likely of all age groups to be teetotal. Overall, those consumers choosing to abstain from alcohol consumption remain the minority in all countries covered as shown below.

A substantial difference between the medical definition and the public perception of what constitutes binge drinking has contributed to the hype surrounding such behaviour. Among the medical fraternity, a ‘binge' is widely agreed to be five or more drinks in one session. The public associates binge drinking with the violent and anti-social behaviour widely covered by the media, which is usually the result of some consumers drinking significantly more than five drinks at a time. This gap in perception has helped to spread erroneous fears that binge drinking is a common occurrence for many adults.
Binge drinking behaviour does still occur among some consumers, with the weekend being the most likely time for this. However, it is the minority of consumers who participate in this activity and the majority of alcohol consumption takes place within the parameters of relaxing and responsible consumption.

The alcoholic drinks industry can benefit from consumer attitudes to moderate drinking, but manufacturers must remain mindful that their business will remain the focus of some intense scrutiny. “When promoting alcoholic drinks, marketers must be aware that responsible consumption is desired by the majority” says Matthew Taylor.

Notes
* Datamonitor Report Bingeing & Moderation In Alcoholic Drinks.