Some types of alcohol make people feel aggressive and confident, others make them feel relaxed.
Different types of alcohol are linked to different emotions, a survey about alcohol finds.
Liquor makes people feel more aggressive, while wine is linked to feeling relaxed.
Liquor (spirits) were linked in people’s minds to feeling energetic, confident and sexy.
Like wine, beer was also linked to feeling relaxed.
Professor Mark Bellis, who led the study, said:
“For centuries, the history of rum, gin, vodka and other spirits has been laced with violence.
This global study suggests even today consuming spirits is more likely to result in feelings of aggression than other drinks.
In the UK, a litre of off-licence spirits can easily be bought for £15 or less, making a double shot only 75 pence.
Such prices can encourage consumption at levels harmful to the health of the drinker and through violence and injuries also represent a risk to the people around them.”
Alcohol beliefs
The results come from a survey of almost 30,000 people from 21 different countries.
Because of the nature of the study, it isn’t possible to say that different types of alcohol actually cause these different emotions.
Rather it is an insight into people’s beliefs about the effects of liquor versus wine versus beer.
Of course, our beliefs have considerable influence over what we experience, so the study is informative.
Kath Ashton, the study’s first author, said:
“People routinely use alcohol in order to alter their moods but this study suggests different drink choices may result in different emotional outcomes.
Understanding the relationships between different drinks and their emotional consequences may provide important insights into the prevention of alcohol related harms.”
The study was published in the journal BMJ Open (Ashton et al., 2017).
