Prevention Matters

When college-town bars offer special prices on drinks, the result is an increase in drunk college students. That's the conclusion of recent research, and it didn't come from the "Univeristy of DUH!"

Alcohol researchers from the University of Florida and San Diego State University decided to study the relationship between drink specials and the quantity of alcohol consumed. According to the New York Times' Tara Parker-Pope, they were spurred by long-time claims from bar owners that special drink prices attract more people to the bar, but don't result in people drinking more.

The researchers collectied data on 495 men and 309 women leaving seven bars near a university campus. The bar patrons were given breath alcohol concentration tests and also told researchers what they drank and spent during their time at the bar. For every $1.40 hike in drink price, the bar goer was 30 percent less likely to leave the bar legally drunk.

The findings will be published in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.