Skip to Main Content
Boston University
  • Bostonia
  • BU Today
  • The Brink
  • University Publications

    • Bostonia
    • BU Today
    • The Brink
  • School & College Publications

    • The Record
Other Publications
The Brink
  • Sections
Pioneering Research from Boston University

Young Drinkers of Flavored, Supersized Alcohol at Increased Risk

Consumers more than six times as likely to report suffering alcohol-related injuries, study finds

March 6, 2015
  • Lisa Chedekel
Twitter Facebook
Policy steps needed to keep flavored, supersized alcohol drinks out of hands of youth, public health prof says.

Underage drinkers of flavored alcoholic beverages who exclusively consume the supersized versions are more than six times as likely to report suffering alcohol-related injuries as underage youths who drink other types of alcoholic beverages, according to a new study co-authored by School of Public Health (SPH) researchers.

The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, is believed to be the first study to document an association between the consumption of different types of flavored alcoholic beverages by youth ages 13 to 20, risky drinking behaviors, and self-reported injuries related to alcohol consumption. In previous studies by the same research team, which includes the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, nearly half of underage drinkers in the US reported having consumed flavored alcoholic beverages in the past 30 days.

Flavored alcoholic beverages, also known as alcopops, can be classified into three categories: malt-based flavored beverages (e.g., Mike’s Hard Lemonade or Smirnoff Ice); spirits-based premixed, ready-to-drink cocktails (e.g., Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails); and supersized alcopops (e.g., Four Loko or Joose). Supersized alcohol beverages can contain the equivalent of between four and five alcoholic drinks.

For their study, the researchers surveyed 1,031 underage youth, ages 13 to 20, who had consumed at least one drink of alcohol during the past 30 days between December 2011 and May 2012. In an online, self-administered survey, respondents identified what brands of alcohol they had consumed in the past 30 days, the number of days on which each brand was consumed, and the typical number of drinks of each brand that were consumed on those days.

Heavy episodic drinking was reported by nearly 70 percent of pre-mixed/ready-to-drink cocktail users, by about 75 percent of supersized alcopop users, and by almost 80 percent of those who consumed more than one type of flavored alcoholic beverage—compared with 45 percent of non-flavored alcohol users. Consumption of any combination of two or more flavored alcoholic beverage was also strongly associated with reports of heavy episodic drinking, fighting, and alcohol-related injuries.

“These findings raise important concerns about the popularity and use of flavored alcoholic beverages among young people, particularly for the supersized varieties,” said study author Alison Albers, an assistant professor of community health sciences at SPH. “Public health practitioners and policymakers would be wise to consider what further steps could be taken to keep these beverages out of the hands of youth.”

Drink size does not appear to be the only factor at work. The researchers found that among underage drinkers, those who reported three types of exclusive flavored-alcoholic beverage use—pre-mixed/ready-to-drink cocktails only, supersized alcopops only, and any combination of two or more flavored alcoholic beverages—were more likely to consume a higher number of drinks per day, to drink more days in a month, and to engage in heavy episodic drinking.

Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among youth in the US and is responsible for the deaths of approximately 4,300 underage persons each year.

Besides Albers, researchers on the study include: Michael Siegel and William DeJong, professors of community health sciences at SPH; David Jernigan and Rebecca Ramirez of the Bloomberg School; and Craig Ross of Fiorente Media, Inc.

Funding came from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Explore Related Topics:

  • Community Health Sciences
  • Share this story

Share

Young Drinkers of Flavored, Supersized Alcohol at Increased Risk

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Lisa Chedekel

    Lisa Chedekel Profile

Latest from The Brink

  • Vaccines

    What to Make of the Recent COVID Vaccine Guidance Changes—and Will You Be Eligible for a Shot This Fall?

  • NEIDL

    Renowned Virologist Robert A. Davey to Lead NEIDL, BU’s Infectious Diseases Research Hub

  • AI and Stolen Art

    Using AI to Identify Plundered Antiquities

  • Campus Climate Lab

    BU Students Win Janetos Climate Action Prize for Uncovering Air Quality Gaps Between Old and New Campus Buildings

  • Low Back Pain

    Finding Non-Opioid Solutions for Low Back Pain

  • Carbon Credits

    Do Forest Carbon Credits Work and Actually Help the Environment?

  • Infectious Diseases

    What’s It Like to Be an Infectious Diseases Outbreak Responder?

  • Autism

    What Causes Autism? And Is There an Autism Epidemic, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Says?

  • CTE

    NIH Awards $15M to BU-Led Effort to Diagnose CTE During Life

  • Research News

    Brink Bites: Tracking Endangered Frogs, Why Concentration Wanders, Studying Kids’ Beliefs

  • Economy

    Massachusetts Could See Drastic, Cascading Economic Downturn from New Policies, BU Study Finds

  • Innovator of the Year

    Pulmonologist Darrell Kotton Is BU’s Innovator of the Year

  • Expert Take

    “Everyday Discrimination” Linked to Increased Anxiety and Depression Across All Groups of Americans

  • Climate Misinformation

    Native Ads Are Shaping Climate Opinions. BU Researchers Say There’s a Way to Resist

  • Global Health

    BU Launches an Open-Source Infectious Diseases Monitoring Tool Powered by AI and Human Experts

  • Hearing Loss

    Trouble Hearing in Noisy Places and Crowded Spaces? Researchers Say New BU-Developed Algorithm Could Help Hearing Aid Users

  • Suicide

    Red Sox Player Jarren Duran’s Suicide Attempt Admission Praised by BU Trauma Expert for Helping with Stigma

  • Elections

    How Could the SAVE Act Impact Young Voters and Married People Who’ve Changed Their Name?

  • Awards

    Guggenheim Fellowships Awarded to Six BU Researchers and Scholars

  • Microbes

    Microbes Reveal Clues About Extraterrestrial Life

Section navigation

  • Sections
  • Notable
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Topics
  • Archive
Subscribe to Newsletter

Explore Our Publications

Bostonia

Boston University’s Alumni Magazine

BU Today

News, Opinion, Community

The Brink

Pioneering Research from Boston University

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Weibo
  • Medium
© Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
© 2025 Trustees of Boston UniversityPrivacy StatementAccessibility
Boston University
Notice of Non-Discrimination: Boston University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex or gender, age, national origin, ethnicity, shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, military service, marital, parental, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in any and all educational programs or activities operated by Boston University. Retaliation is also prohibited. Please refer questions or concerns about Title IX, discrimination based on any other status protected by law or BU policy, or retaliation to Boston University’s Executive Director of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator, at titleix@bu.edu or (617) 358-1796. Read Boston University’s full Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Search
Boston University Masterplate
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Young Drinkers of Flavored, Supersized Alcohol at Increased Risk
0
share this