Study up - By the Way

Cheers, Oct, 2003 by Jack Robertiello

I've written in this space before about the pleasures and benefits of alcohol consumption; now a British study has found that those who abstain from drinking any sort of beverage alcohol make about $3,200 a year less than those who are known to hoist a few regularly. The research at Stirling University, based on regular surveys of 17,000 people who were born in Britain in 1958, concluded that socializing with co-workers leads to promotions and pay raises.

"The survey shows you don't want to be a teetotaler if you want to get on in your job. People who drink moderately seem to earn more," said Professor David Bell, the study's author.

The professor went on to say that that people aren't likely to be seen as one of the inner group of their workplace if they don't at least occasionally go out for drinks after work with their colleagues. The report said that the social networking that meeting after work provides is important for career advancement.

More good news came this month from the Federal Trade Commission's study of beverage alcohol advertising, concluding that advertisers are not targeting under-age drinkers, and finding lots of improvement in their efforts to make sure ads reach mostly adults. In 1999, the FTC criticized the industry's efforts limiting advertising to programs and publications with audiences and readerships above 21 years old; the new report found that the industry followed the 50-percent rule in nearly every case. Industry groups are promising to ramp up the 50% rule to 70%.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited National Academy of Sciences report on under-age drinking came up with the ham-handed conclusion that one important way to curb teenage drinking is ... higher taxes.

The NAS report claims alcohol marketing reaches too many of those youngsters, and laid out proposals to counter under-age drinking, like raising taxes on beer, considering alcohol content in movie ratings, a national ad campaign and federal scrutiny of youth exposure to alcohol ads.

More studies are on the way, including one from the Harvard School of Public Health, the International Center for Alcohol Policies and the Distilled Spirits Council. Alcohol consumption is under scrutiny all over the world, but the impetus for changes in behavior comes primarily from those who blame drunk driving, under-age consumption and other societal ills on beverage providers, whether they are suppliers, retailers or restaurant and bar operators. Disinterested studies are hard to find, yet the reports from the UK and the FTC are two worth repeating to your customers.