We saw this $10-an-hour all-you-can-drink bar opening on the news, and were immediately reminded of our own past experiences with binge drinking (and eating) in San Francisco restaurants that were similarly priced by the hour.
We were curious: does the research show what we all know to be true: that “all you can drink” is just not a good idea?
Here’s what we found:
People do tend to get drunker when bars offer “all you can drink” specials (it was the only bar deal that did so, according to the study). In general, cheaper alcohol leads to more drunkenness; one study found that for every $1.40 price decrease in the cost of one standard ‘drink’, students at 7 college bars were 30% more likely to be legally intoxicated.
A study in Japan found that the amount people drank under the “all you can drink” system was 1.7-1.8x as high as normal.
So people drink more, and get drunker as a consequence, when they pay by the hour for drinks. Clearly, these kinds of promotions can promote binge drinking behavior, which as we all know can be dangerous and costly in more ways than one (the effects include long-term career issues, development of alcohol use disorders, and more impulsiveness, as well as short-term issues like physical injuries).
But sometimes, policies that target “all you can drink” bars unfairly benefit stores that sell alcohol for home consumption. So it’s not a straightforward answer to ban the practice of offering all you can drink pricing. Most advocates say a minimum alcohol price per unit is a better bet, policy-wise, for reducing drinking overall.
If you’re done with binge drinking, we’d love to help you quit or cut back. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. Try it free for a week before joining!
