Alcohol Demand and Supersized Alcopop Consumption Among Undergraduate College Students

Public Health Significance The present study found that undergraduate college students who consume Four Loko report higher demand for alcohol when alcohol is essentially free, compared to those who have not consumed Four Loko. Hence, Four Loko consumers may be responsive to prevention efforts aimed at increasing the price and/or decreasing the alcohol content of Four Loko products. These types of policies have the potential to deter at-risk individuals from consuming supersized alcopops and experiencing associated consequences. Supersized alcopops are sugar-sweetened beverages with extraordinarily high alcohol content; consumption is highly prevalent among college students and is associated with a variety of negative alcohol-related consequences. However, few studies have examined risk factors for consumption of these products. The objective of this study was to examine, among a college student sample, whether the behavioral economic principle of alcohol demand was associated with self-reported lifetime consumption of Four Loko-the most popular brand of supersized alcopop among underage drinkers. Participants were 170 undergraduate students who were at least 18 years of age and reported at least 1 day of alcohol consumption within the past month. Study participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing demographics, Four Loko consumption and associated problems, and alcohol demand (using the Brief Assessment of Alcohol Demand). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses revealed that intensity (drinks they would consume if free) significantly predicted Four Loko consumption but not breakpoint (maximum expenditure per drink) or O-max (maximum expenditure for all drinks). Findings support that students who prefer consuming large quantities of alcohol when it is free are more likely to have consumed Four Loko. Interventions increasing price or reducing the availability of Four Loko may be especially protective for this at-risk population.