Teenage alcoholic beverage preferences: risks and responses

The preferences of 2641 teenagers for beer wine or spirits were assessed and compared to other variables examined in the UK part of the European School survey project on alcohol and other drugs (ESPAD). Preference assessment was indirect, relying on the frequencies of consumption of the different beverages in the past month. Wine was less commonly preferred than either beer or spirits. Girls were more likely than boys to prefer wine or spirits and less likely to prefer beer. Teenagers who had most frequently consumed either beer or spirits were more likely than those who preferred wine to be heavy drinkers, cigarette smokers and users of illicit drugs. They were also more frequently truants from school and less likely to have consumed their last alcoholic drink in a low-risk setting. These results are discussed in the light of available evidence on the health promotion designed to reduce high-risk drinking.