“Go hard or go homeâ€: moderate drinking is “a waste of money and caloriesâ€

Abstract

Background: At-risk individuals, such as emerging adults, continue to drink to excess despite knowledge of recommended safe drinking limits. Such harm reduction initiatives might be ineffective because heavy drinking is normative and inescapable. This study aims to inform interventions by identifying motives, benefits, and barriers to moderating consumption amongst a high-risk sample. Method: Student Drinkers’ in New Zealand (n=100) completed an open ended interview examining their perceptions and experiences of moderate and non-drinking amongst their social groups. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Findings: Findings revealed binge drinking was seen as normal and participants had to have a “good reason†such as work or sports to abstain from binging. Although participants saw benefits to drinking less, the ridicule for “wasting calories and money†by moderating drinking outweighed the benefits. Limiting drinking was rare or absent amongst peer groups and moderate drinkers were perceived more negatively than non-drinkers with participants stating, “Why would you?†Discussion: This study identified barriers to drinking responsibly. In fact, non-drinking was seen more favourably than moderate drinking because non-drinkers were perceived to have a good reason such as religion, whereas participants struggled to find good reasons for ‘limiting drinking’. However, the finding that drinkers perceived serious and competitive involvement in sporting and cultural events as an adequate excuse for responsible consumption is informative for future interventions. It may also explain the relative popularity of periodic abstinence (e.g. Dry July/January) over moderate drinking.