SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Yahoo! Shine (http://shine.yahoo.com), one of the world’s leading women’s lifestyle websites, has released the results of its “Alcohol and America” survey. The survey asked 2,000 Americans in-depth questions about drinking habits, favorite kinds of drinks/alcohol, and overall views of drinking, as well as differences between men and women’s drinking habits. The results found that on average adults consume seven alcoholic beverages per week, and while most adults are responsible about their drinking, one in three has experienced negative effects of drinking.
Who Are the Drinkers?
Interestingly, only one in four adults claims to have never gotten drunk, while on the other end of the spectrum, nearly two in three adults got drunk before they reached the legal drinking age. The average age both women and men had their first drink is 17.
Men consume two more drinks on average than women per week. Men are also more likely to drink alone with 70 percent consuming two or more drinks when drinking alone.
When Are We Drinking?
The most popular American drinking holidays are:
1. New Year’s Eve
2. Christmas
3. Fourth of July/Independence
Day
4. St. Patrick’s Day
5. Thanksgiving
The Gender Differences: Responsibility, Setting Limits and Drink of Choice
Responsible Drinking
Women are more likely than men to drink responsibly, being more inclined to designate a sober driver. Women are also more likely not to allow themselves or friends to drive if they are over the limit. They are also more careful than men to not get too drunk in front of co-workers or at office parties.
Only 10 percent of women said they need alcohol to have a good time compared to 16 percent of men.
How Much Is Too Much?
The study confirmed that women consume more alcohol on the weekend than they do during the week, averaging about three beverages on the weekend. However, women ages 18-34 are just as likely as men to experience extremely negative effects from drinking like blacking out, vomiting, and getting their stomach pumped.
When asked how many drinks are excessive, 83 percent of adults said more than two drinks and 49 percent said more than five. When asked about going to work with a hangover, only 13 percent of women admitted to doing so compared to 21 percent of men.
What We’re Drinking:
Female drinkers show stronger preferences for wine/champagne beverages compared to men who favor beer and spirits. When it comes to cocktails we’re drinking, women noted frozen margaritas are their favorite type of drink, while more men prefer beer based drinks, shots and drinks on the rocks.
What We’re Drinking, by the numbers:
Among all the adults surveyed, spirits are slightly more favored than beers, however red wine is the most popular drink overall.
| Yahoo! Shine Alcohol & America Survey | |||
| Types of Alcohol | Percentages Alcoholic Beverages Liked | ||
| Red Wine | 28% | ||
| Vodka | 27% | ||
| Beer - Lagers | 26% | ||
| Beer - Ales | 24% | ||
|
White Wine |
24% | ||
| Rum | 22% | ||
| Whiskey | 19% | ||
| Tequila | 18% | ||
| Any type of beer | 17% | ||
| Champagne | 17% | ||
| Sparkling Wine | 15% | ||
| Beer - Cider | 12% | ||
| Gin | 10% | ||
|
Brandy |
8% | ||
| Any type of liqueurs | 8% | ||
| Any type of spirits | 5% | ||
| I don't drink at all | 28% | ||
View the survey results on Yahoo! Shine: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/women-vs-men-shine-survey-results-on-how-we-drink-2465165/
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Helpful Resources:
Yahoo! does not encourage underage or binge drinking. We recommend parents speak with their children about the risks of alcohol abuse. For more information about talking to kids or if you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol abuse click here for help & support.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) is the premier digital media company, creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. That’s how we deliver your world, your way. And Yahoo!’s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses.
For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.com) or the company’s blog, Yodel Anecdotal (yodel.yahoo.com).
About the Survey:
Yahoo! partnered with Ipsos OTX MediaCT to conduct the Yahoo! Shine Women and Drinking Survey in February 2011. We interviewed n=2017 Americans (51% or n=1027 are women) aged 18-64 representative of the U.S. online population via an online quantitative survey.