{"id":5925,"date":"2018-01-08T22:52:50","date_gmt":"2018-01-09T05:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scramsystems.com\/blog\/?p=5925"},"modified":"2019-04-24T12:10:45","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T18:10:45","slug":"because-hangovers-suck-speaks-to-millennial-drinkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scramsystems.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/because-hangovers-suck-speaks-to-millennial-drinkers\/","title":{"rendered":"“Because Hangovers Suck” Speaks to Millennial Drinkers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hangovers suck, as does waking up with regrets the morning after drinking. That\u2019s the message a Michigan-based grassroots organization, Better Drinking Culture<\/a> (BDC), is using in an attempt to promote healthier attitudes towards drinking.<\/p>\n

Jason Ley, CEO of Better Drinking Culture, claims that the common idioms \u201cdrink responsibly\u201d and \u201cdon\u2019t drink and drive\u201d are not only outdated but are interpreted by many millennial drinkers as \u201cdrink as much as you want as long as you don\u2019t drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does \u201cDrink Responsibly\u201d Promote Binge Drinking?<\/h2>\n

BDC presents itself as a \u201cgrassroots movement\u201d of drinkers who want to change how Americans interact with alcohol by encouraging \u201cchoices that reduce [the] risk for addiction.\u201d Last fall BDC stopped by at the Great American Beer Festival\u2014one of the alcohol industry\u2019s premier events<\/a>\u2014not to dissuade conventioneers from drinking, but to encourage drinkers to think quality over quantity.<\/p>\n

Ley told The Denver Post, \u201cWe feel [younger drinkers] are actually missing the core issue, because even though you get yourself home \u2026 you are still going to wake up tomorrow with a hangover\u2014you are still going to be affected with those negative consequences of drinking way too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CDC identifies binge drinking<\/a> as five or more drinks on a single occasion, and moderate drinking as up to one drink per day for women, two for men. It is easy to see how common binge drinking\u2014and consequently, hangovers\u2014are becoming at alcohol-fueled festivals.<\/p>\n

And with craft breweries, distilleries, and wineries popping up all over the country, BDC believes that millennial alcohol connoisseurs see these locations and events as an opportunity to drink as much as they want as long as they have a safe way home, creating an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.<\/p>\n

Drinkers Confused By Alcohol Messaging<\/h2>\n

Research suggests that BDC may be on to something in its attempts to clarify messaging around drinking. Once the purview of public health and government organizations, \u201cdrink responsibly\u201d is now a standard part of ads and campaigns by the alcohol industry. And combining advertising with social responsibility messaging is more likely to sow confusion among consumers.<\/p>\n

A recent Australian study found that the vagueness of statements like \u201cdrink responsibly\u201d and \u201cknow when to say when\u201d make their meaning highly subjective. While the majority of drinkers in the study understood the messages were promoting moderation, the definition of \u201cmoderation\u201d differed from person to person. And in some cases, people in the study thought phrases like \u201cdrink properly\u201d<\/a> actually meant to drink more or just drink different types of alcohol.<\/p>\n

So is \u201changovers suck\u201d a clearer message? As part of its manifesto, BDC encourages \u201cchoices that reduce [the] risk for addiction\u201d and pledges to \u201clove, support, and respect all people regardless of their relationship with alcohol.\u201d Though the organization is only two years old, Better Drinking Culture is creating buzz and gaining members that support healthy drinking habits that eliminate addiction, health issues, regret, and of course, hangovers.<\/p>\n

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