E-Malt.com News article: EU: The Brewers of Europe investigate the balance between price and alcohol consumption

The Brewers of Europe reported on July, 23 the results of a survey assessing the effect of price increases of alcoholic beverages on consumers’ purchasing and drinking patterns and European citizens’ perceptions of the most effective measures to help reduce alcohol-related harm.

The poll was carried out online during February and March 2009 in Denmark, Portugal, Czech Republic, and Germany. The sample size consisted of 1,000 interviews per country, chosen according to gender, age and region. The four countries surveyed were chosen as fairly representative of the different cultures, behaviours and attitudes of their respective regions - Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Europe.

The vast majority of Europeans are responsible consumers of alcoholic beverages and only a small percentage regularly binge drinks or consumes over the recommended guidelines, the survey revealed.

For 94% of Europeans, price is not the key criterion when it comes to purchasing alcoholic beverages. For 46% taste is the main determinant, followed by the occasion for (or during) which the purchase is being made and the consumer’s mood at that time.

Young adults, who comprise the largest group of people who ‘binge drink’, would be the least likely to reduce their alcohol consumption because of a price increase – even of as much as 25%. Rather than reducing their alcohol consumption, they would instead tend to change their purchasing behaviour, e.g. turning to cheaper drinks, buying more in shops and less in bars, switching to other categories, etc.

The minority of respondents who regularly (6.2% of all adults surveyed) or occasionally (6.6% of all adults surveyed) drink irresponsibly are less likely than other consumers to reduce their alcohol consumption in response to price increases. Hence, only 1.8% of all respondents fall into the category of being regular irresponsible drinkers who would drink less in general following a price increase.

Over 90% of the people who consume alcoholic drinks said that it is not the drinks themselves but the abuse of alcohol that is the problem. They argue that every consumer should be trusted to decide how much he or she drinks.

Over 90% of Europeans also responded that instead of price increases the focus should rather be on better education and information about the effects of alcohol consumption and proper law enforcement in cases of alcohol abuse.

The main message that can be drawn from this survey is that raising prices completely misses the target audience and would not solve the problem of alcoholic misuse, i.e. regularly drinking over recommended guidelines or binge drinking. Instead, price increases are most likely to impact the consumption levels of those who drink in moderation and responsibly.

The Brewers of Europe, founded in 1958 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the European brewing sector to the European institutions and international organisations. It has 27 members, comprising 24 national brewers’ associations from EU Member States plus Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Of the roughly 3,000 brewers across Europe, the vast majority are small and medium-sized, local and family-run establishments.


24 July, 2009