Malt liquor drink of homeless and unemployed -study

	Tweet

Malt liquor, a type of beer that is higher in alcohol than other brews, is largely a drink of the homeless and unemployed, and is likely to be abused, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Malt liquor is also heavily marketed to black and Hispanic youth, a team at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in California report. Their study of 329 drinkers in Los Angeles found that malt liquor drinkers are different from those who drink other alcoholic beverages.

Ricky Bluthenthal, who led the study, said malt liquors are higher in alcohol than other beers and tend to be sold in larger containers.

“We found that the combination of these differences resulted in the average malt liquor drinker in our study consuming 80-percent more alcohol per drink than the average regular beer drinker,” he said in a statement.

And, Bluthenthal said, the more alcohol consumed, the worse the consequences for both the drinker and his or her community.

Writing in the March issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, Bluthenthal’s team said they found malt liquor drinkers were more likely to be homeless, unemployed, receive public assistance, and to drink more alcohol than other drinkers.

Rhonda Jones-Webb, an expert in alcohol consumption and behavior at the University of Minnesota who reviewed the study, said she was concerned about the marketing of malt liquor.

The products are largely targeted to black and Hispanic youths and young adults, she said. “Rap artists have been popular images in malt liquor advertising and ‘gangsta’ rap performers portray malt liquor as a sign of masculinity,” she said.

“Advertising influences brand choice, and what young people drink in early years influences what they drink as adults,” she added in a telephone interview.

Malt liquors are often sold in 40-ounce (1 liter) bottles, she added. “Rap lyrics and movie scripts encourage ‘chugging’ the bottles before they get warm,” she said.

“The combined effects of higher alcohol content, larger serving size, and faster consumption can result in higher blood alcohol levels, an increased risk of aggressive behavior, and other alcohol-related problems.”

Jones-Webb said larger studies should be done on the type of alcohol that people drink, advertising of the different types and their influence on behavior and crime.

RELATED STORIES:
K-State chemists’ biosensor may improve food, water safety and cancer detection   Lack of cash hobbles Cambodia’s bird flu battle   Obesity ‘could cost us £3 billion a year’   Pressure on sports docs could harm athletes - study   Hospitals still not smoke-free   Reforms Needed in Health Care Services for Adolescents   Phone makers ask for more research into DNA damage   EU ministers want tough post-Kyoto emission   Red Cross raises record $1.2 bln in tsunami aid   Scottish smoking ban hits pub drink sales -survey   Obesity And Your Child. Stop The Cycle   Major Grant Amplifies Efforts of Childhood Anti-Obesity Alliance

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]