Beverage- and brand-specific binge alcohol consumption among underage youth in the US

Background and objectives: Binge drinking is a common and risky pattern of alcohol consumption among youth; beverage-and brand-specific consumption during binge drinking is poorly understood. The objective of the study was to characterize beverage-and brand-specific consumption associated with binge drinking among underage youth in the US. Methods: An Internet panel was used to obtain a sample of 1032 underage youth aged 13-20, who drank alcohol in the last 30 d. For each brand consumed, youth reported drinking quantity and frequency, and whether they engaged in binge drinking with that brand (>= 5 drinks for males and >= 4 for females). Each youth reporting binge drinking with a brand constituted a binge drinking report. Results: Overall, 50.9% of youth binge drank with >= 1 brand, and 36.5% of youth who consumed any particular brand reported binge drinking with it. Spirits accounted for 43.8% of binge drinking reports. Twenty-five brands accounted for 46.2% of binge drinking reports. Many of these brands were disproportionately associated with binge drinking relative to their youth market share. Conclusions: Binge drinking among youth is most commonly involves spirits, and binge drinking is concentrated within a relatively small number of brands. Understanding factors underlying beverage and brand preference among binge drinking youth could assist prevention efforts.