Boston University and Johns Hopkins researchers surveyed a thousand 13- to 20-year-old kids about their blackout drink of choice only to discover that many youngsters either have latent taste buds or a weirdly premature sense of brand loyalty. Underage drinkers most often reached for Bud Light, followed by Jack Daniels and Smirnoff Ice, then Four Loko, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Bacardi, and even Hennessy. Bud and Jack are commonly stocked in household fridges and liquor cabinets, so that explains something, but beyond that the study seems to indicate that binge drinking is “extremely brand specific,” leaving its authors to speculate whether “there could be messages in their marketing efforts that are encouraging the use of these not just by youths but also in excess.” [BU, WP]
