# Harvard Study Finds: Availability of Cheap Beer Increases College-Aged Drinking **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 12, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281 "2003-09-12T20:55:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/1 "2003-09-12T20:55:42Z")
[Link.](http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N12194470.htm) This study, brought to you by the Foundation For The Laughably Obvious, is soon to be published in the scholastic journal _Duh!_. In other news, Harvard researchers have also found that fire is hot, and water is wet. Good use of research funds, guys! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/2 "2003-09-12T20:57:01Z")
I, for one, am not convinced. I demand further research! Who’s buying? ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/3 "2003-09-12T20:57:12Z")
:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/4 "2003-09-12T21:07:39Z")
Know you know why I was in college for about **TEN** years…😉 The girls there were also a contributing factor though…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/5 "2003-09-12T21:14:55Z")
Apparently, ten years was not long enough for me to learn to proofread! Back to college I go!🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/6 "2003-09-12T21:34:46Z")
Well, all the hard topics were already taken. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/7 "2003-09-12T22:40:42Z")
Probably the same group who published the amazing study that shows sick people spend more time in hospitals than well folks. Go figure! By the way, I’ll be home tonight, bottling beer! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/8 "2003-09-12T23:24:18Z")
Well, it’s not necessarily totally obvious. There’s many people who wouldn’t over-indulge in beer however cheap it was. And some people who would drink to unconciousness however cheap. I admit to not being surprised college students are the middle type 🙂 > [@](#): > > FIVE-CENT BEER I’m in the wrong country! Am I missing something? > [@](#): > > Wechsler defines binge-drinking as the consumption of five or more drinks in one sitting Isn’t that a fairly unexceptional amount? And doesn’t binge mean exceptional overindulgence? If we appropriate the word to mean ‘drinking a lot’ then how do you describe alcoholics who go a long time without drinking and then binge themselves bankrupt? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/9 "2003-09-12T23:35:19Z")
Yeah, but once they have Official Research, they can use it to raise alcohol taxes. For the good of the students, of course. Because rich people don’t have alcohol problems, ever. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/10 "2003-09-13T00:27:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Finally, since this is a correlational study, causality > cannot be determined. Marketing practices that reduce > cost may increase drinking levels, and heavy drinking > by students may induce bars and restaurants to cater to > and compete for their patronage through price lowering > promotions. ---
**Author:** ![jweb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@jweb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jweb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/11 "2003-09-13T00:37:46Z")
Well, maybe it’s just me, but I thought the conclusions in this study were rather revealing… [link](http://www.theonion.com/onion3511/college_drinking.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/12 "2003-09-13T13:34:17Z")
Binge drinking is five in one sitting? If that’s the case, **Cerowyn** and I went on three binges each in a single night. By this standard, though, my consumption of The Hub’s “one-liter cocktail” was the model of temperance and moderation. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/13 "2003-09-13T13:52:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shade \* > \*\*Well, I’m in the wrong country! Am I missing something? \*\* Yeah, but it’ll be _American_ beer, which let’s face it, is beer-lite 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/14 "2003-09-13T16:48:12Z")
But that’s like 50 times cheaper! It’s can’t be _that_ weak, can it? ---
**Author:** ![Headcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@Headcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headcoat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/15 "2003-09-13T18:09:18Z")
American Budweiser is actually higher in alcohol content than Guiness (from the tap). As for taste, well thats a whole 'nother matter. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/16 "2003-09-13T18:21:15Z")
> [@](#): > > * * * > > ## FIVE-CENT BEER > > I’m in the wrong country! Am I missing something? No way dude I can assure you that you do not want the 10 cent beer we had in college. One, it was all of about 6 oz, not bad but you’re not talking a pint, or even a glass. Two, it was the Beast, enough said. I think I’m still hung over from drinking that stuff almost 10 years ago. Nasty stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/17 "2003-09-13T18:21:31Z")
I’m surprised so many Straight Dopers don’t seem to get the point. We _need_ to question those things that are commonly assumed to be true. Reality is a lot slipperier than it appears. Remember that not long ago, everyone ‘knew’ the sun orbited the earth, the planet was less than 10,000 years old, and heavy objects fell faster than light ones. We **must** examine our fundamental assumptions to discover the reality behind them. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/18 "2003-09-13T18:39:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jweb \* > \*\*Well, maybe it’s just me, but I thought the conclusions in this study were rather revealing… > > [link](http://www.theonion.com/onion3511/college_drinking.html) \*\* > [@](#): > > Researchers at the University of Massachusetts released a surprising new study Monday indicating that, contrary to long-held beliefs about its destructive effects, collegiate binge drinking is a fucking blast. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/19 "2003-09-14T00:29:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\*Binge drinking is five in one sitting? If that’s the case, **Cerowyn** and I went on three binges each in a single night. > \*\* Right. You have to read the “fine print” when you see one of these studies. By some definitions, every Seder is a “binge drinking” session. All that wine, you see. They also don’t take into account the length of time. If two guys spend the afternoon watching football and drinking beer, have another at dinner, and then another during the evening, well that’s a “binge.” Sometimes you hear about studies that determine that shocking fact that 30% of 12-year-olds have consumed alcohol in the past year, going on to bemoan the horrible state of affairs in the nation. A kid having a sip of watered-down wine with his parents at dinner counts as part of this alleged terrible epidemic of youthful sinning. Jeez. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281/20 "2003-09-14T01:04:38Z")
So, having run out of beer one night, bunch of us hopped in a car & headed out to get more. Along the way, we run over a cat. We got out to look at the cat and saw it had a collar, so we figured it had to belong to someone. While we were doing this, a cop pulled up. Now, you have to understand that this was a small college town, not a lot happened in it. So us having run over a cat probably constituted the sum total of what this cop would have as stuff to do for the night. Anyways, he says we’re all going to have to come down to the station and pay a fine of $25 _each_, unless, of course, we could find the owner of the cat and pay restitution to the person. We decided, being dead broke college students, to look for the owner. So we cruise around, cop car right behind us, when what do we see but a house with all kinds of cats in the backyard. Gotta be the one, right? So we march up to the front door, dead cat in hand, knock, and a lady in curlers and housecoat answers, sees the cat, and yells “Fifi!” - or something, honestly, I don’t remember the name. Anyway, we explain our predicament, and the lady says she’ll take 10 dollars for the dead cat, but we’d have to give it a proper burial for her. Deal done. Cop is standing there, so he’ll witness the whole thing. One of us - I disremember who - got out 10 bucks and pays it to the lady. She hands us back the cat, and the cop promptly arrested her. For what, you ask? For . . . . . . . . . . . . selling dead pussy. Of course. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-study-finds-availability-of-cheap-beer-increases-college-aged-drinking/201281.md?page=2)