Miss Marple’s Case file Project: Put Binge Drinking Behind Bars The case for Individual factors

1. Miss Marple’s Case file Project: Put Binge Drinking Behind Bars The case for Individual factors

2. Accusations • It’s desperately sad that some people feel they need to prove their status by drinking strong drinks and in some quantity too. • Gosh, birthdays and celebrations seem to be an excuse for irresponsible drinking and vulgar behaviour. • My detectives left no stone unturned and even investigated the murky world of hangovers. It transpires that people have accepted this beastly consequence of binge drinking, and even consider it to be part of the experience, a great joke to share with friends by text the next day, a badge of honour, a way of extending the fun of the evening into the next day. • Talking about hangovers in jovial manner only serves to spur on the drinking, especially amongst the young tear-aways. • It would be foolish to think binge drinking is confined to the bar, sometimes the little rotters start with a bottle of something at home or even on the way in. It’s clear they plan on getting drunk from the outset! Outrageous! • Patience is a virtue, however when it comes to ordering drinks there’s very little of it in evidence. To get around this problem, they’ll buy any number of drinks at a time to avoid the queuing and then drink them more quickly to avoid the embarrassment of having two drinks in front of them. • People continue drinking without thinking ... it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy – intoxication and a jolly mood makes them care even less about how much they drink.

3. Eye Witness Reports • “I have always noticed a fairly obvious element of competition amongst guys when it comes to drinking, especially during the uni years. Volume and strength of drink is a way of 'proving your manliness' - if you stop drinking early or spend the night on Bacardi Breezers you get a pint of mockery thrown at you.” • “It was two friends' birthdays, and they were very drunk due to being bought drinks which they couldn't refuse: "Thanks to everyone who came out to SLP last night, awesome night! Thanks especially for the tequilas, pina coladas and rum cocktails. I puked absolutely everywhere." (birthday boy FB quote).” • a“I don't think many people thought too much about hangovers, it's an accepted consequence of having a big night out (no gain without pain theory etc)” • b “In hangover-avoidance discussions, 'dirty food' was mentioned as a 'cure'.” • “a lot of people knew that they'd probably had enough to drink, but after several drinks their inhibitions were much lower / non-existent and so they decided to carry on anyway. The classic 'Oh go on then, one more!' tagline cropped up a few times (myself included).” • “The life and soul of the party was driven by people arriving at the party already under the influence (having started imbibing at home it would appear).”

4. Eye Witness Reports • “Also long bar queues trigger the perception that buying more drink is a better use of waiting time than just one little drink.” • “Several people were in Haiwaiian fancy dress, and these seemed to be the most drunken people = drink to forget about looking silly?”

5. Poirot’s Case file Project: Put Binge Drinking Behind Bars The case for Group Factors

6. Accusations • Round buying stops people using their little grey cells, they feel obliged to buy and receive drinks they don’t even want. And of course for the less accomplished drinkers they have to drink faster than their little bodies can cope with just to keep up. • Some people in groups have power extraordinaire, you can see how the mood of the group goes up and up and causes others to drink faster by their very presence. • It can be hard to say ‘non’ when certain members suggest downing shots because it is an activity communal. • It is often the same persons who get drunker than the rest, they never learn! Perhaps they try to live up to their reputation. • Ladyfriends can act as a handbrake on the drinking behaviour of their male lovers, however male companionship can make ladies feel more at ease with drinking more. • When people feel they are nervous or are with people unfamiliar they tend to up their speed of drinking. • For some people drinking is a way to draw attention to themselves and helps them to get noticed by their peers or potential suitors

7. Eye Witness Reports • “A lot of us started off by buying rounds of pints/spirits which is probably one of the main reasons that lead to drinking too much - everyone feels they should buy a round and so a lot of booze goes down.” • “i was at a bar on Sunday where the atmosphere was pretty relaxed / easygoing until a friend came in who was already 4 sheets... and his arrival did change the atmosphere - he started ordering lots of booze and the evening definitely took a turn for the worse, i.e. much heavier drinking etc.” • “Drinking the shots was like a ritual in that the group would get in a circle, count down and then down them.” • “I think for some getting drunk is about attention, more so for girls. I didn't see a lot of evidence of this on Saturday night but generally it's usually the same girl that gets the most drunk and it's usually a male friend that has to help to get her home.” • “Adrian seemingly took the chance that his girlfriend didn’t come to party with us and drank far more than he would have if she would have been present. Also, his dancing with Mary wouldn’t have happened either...” • “I was on my own. On arrival, felt out of place. Got a Bud and found somewhere to sit. Thought maybe I looked like an undercover policeman (they’ve been known to have drug raids). Was with mix of relief but discomfort when Debbie sat next to me. She moved on. Then a dental hygienist. After more confusion, she also moved on. Any insights from this pick-up place? Why was it so strange and uncomfortable being alone?Maybe people with stable cosy relationships with their partners, friends, families (people who are already connected) binge drink less? And those looking for them and the buzz that goes with it drink more?” • “I spotted some people (mostly girls in short skirts) that already needed to be held up by their friends.”

8. Exhibit A Photograph of a birthday girl being bought sweet, easy to drink drinks. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, leaving dos – celebrations such as these have become bywords for excessive drinking.

9. Columbo’s Case file Project: Put Binge Drinking Behind Bars The case for Choice Factors

10. Accusations • It seems to me that some bars are very good at instilling respect in their drinks by using fine ingredients, exotic names and expert service, this leads to a sense of responsibility. • My detectives tell me that highly priced drinks are drunk more slowly, special offers encourage faster and heavier drinking. And have you noticed that you don’t get any more mixer with a double shot? • I’ve noticed that table service upsets the round buying system, the pretty waitress only offers after the last person has finished their drink • What if I were to specifically order a soft drink from the bar? And the barkeep automatically asks what spirit I would like with it – what kind of message does that send out? • Bar staff always assume you want to the largest drink portions – whether it’s a pint of beer or a double shot, you actually have to request smaller portions! But if I were to order an orange juice, it comes from a tiny bottle – why is that? • My foreign agents inform me that in some cultures they buy a bottle of liquor to share amongst a group which means everyone is able to drink at their own pace. • Just one more thing, forcing customers who pay with credit cards to spend a minimum amount certainly doesn’t reduce consumption either.

11. Eye Witness Accounts • “The menu is almost entirely taken up by cocktails, they are all specially made i.e. not your standard mojito, bloody mary here. They are made with very particular ingredients like aged whiskeys or specific rums. This makes you want to savour the taste and not rush it, there is a lot of respect for the drinks here.” • “Costs a fortune no one other than bankers at bonus time could afford to binge.” • “There was also table service which naturally slows the pace, the staff are knowledgeable about the drinks on offer which again adds to the sense of respect for the drinks.” • “I decided not to drink alcohol that week...my request for a ginger ale was met with incomprehension by the bar keeper, What do you want in your ginger ale? Whisky? Gin? • “Some bars serve doubles as the default - this should be discouraged!” • “The other thing that very much influences drinking here (shanghai/china) is that mainly, people by bottles of spirits (and/or champagne) with mixers. people drink at their own pace, there is no 'your round' kind of culture to pressure you into keeping up.” • “More than once i have tried to buy only two beers and pay with my debit card and the barman says that I need to spend "more" if i want them to accept the card. So i end up buying 4 beers instead of 2 for 2 people in one round.”

12. Exhibit A • Poster advertising double shots for only an extra £1.25. This piece of photographic evidence clearly shows the intent of the drinks industry to encourage stronger measures and at minimal financial benefit to themselves.

13. Exhibit B A glass of orange juice (including ice) next to a pint of Guinness. This evidence demonstrates the huge disparity in portion sizes between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, such small measures of juice are designed to be drunk quickly and are not economical over the course of an evening.

14. Holmes Case file Project: Put Binge Drinking Behind Bars The case for Environmental Factors

15. Accusations • The plague of binge drinking is not confined to one venue, but a broader geographical area. The crux to solving this case may lie in town planning or co-ordinated response. • A comfortable chair and sturdy table are a responsible drinker’s friend, however all too often I observed people having to stand and hold their drinks thus resulting in faster beverage consumption. • My investigations revealed a very queer phenomenon – some bars and clubs seem purposely set out to make conversation as difficult as possible! Loud music and cramped conditions means drinking fills the conversation void. • Sporting spectacles encourage an earlier start and faster drinking, especially if there is a good result. For those individuals not of a sporty inclination who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in such a place it can be enough to drive them to drink! • A well kept tavern encourages responsible behaviour, whether it’s the cleanliness of the toilets, the thoughtfulness of the décor or the presentation of the bar – have you considered the influence of fancy glasses hanging behind the bar on your order? These things all combine to produce a positive drinking environment, where binge drinking doesn’t feel natural • The dance-floor has a strange relationship to drink. It rather feels that in order to qualify for a place on the floor one must already be inebriated to some degree. However once there, many patrons find drinks awkward dancing companions so drinking stops or slows, unless they leave to restock of course.

16. Eye Witness Accounts • “It was clear that the environment on all of West Street is conducive to the consumption of copious quantities of alcohol in a variety of forms. Most notable was the very profusion of drinking establishments in such a small area. Revellers flowed from one pub to another bar, then into a club.” • “People who stand while drinking drink much faster as the glass / bottle always remains in the hand (and can be cold)” • “I'd say the main cause of the large intake was: 1. The terrible music at the club which caused a few of us to drink more in order to get some enjoyment out of it.” • 3b “The inside of each hostelery was much like another - Dark, limited seating space and loud, intimidating music. It's understandable that the youth inside have little option but to drink...” • “Rugby was being displayed on 2 massive screens. For blokes, I can see how this would encourage binge drinking as they 'get into' the game - downing pints to celebrate OR drown their sorrows. For girls (or anyone not interested in sport), this would encourage binge drinking because being drunk would make the sport more bearable.” • “If you go to the bar you are confronted with lots of bottles of spirits showing off their good taste (not your usual smirnoff / bacardi brands). the glasses hanging from the ceiling also make ordering cocktails the expectetd behaviour.” • 5b “I noticed that the lighting was very dim - an environmental aspect I would tend to associate with drinking a high volume of alcohol.”

17. Eye Witness Accounts • “As for the intoxication level of those on the dance floor vs. off the dance floor, i'd say the most and the least drunk were by the wayside and those who were moderately drunk were on the dance floor. rationale - most people need a bit of alcohol to start grooving but once you get too pissed, that's when you get need to take a time out or get chucked out!”

18. Exhibit A • A dark picture of a bar displaying a vast array of quality drinks, note the cocktail glasses hanging in the foreground. The presence of cocktail glasses and variety of spirits strongly suggests the type of drink you should be purchasing. The expensive and intricate display sets this as a place for connoisseur drinking rather than binge drinking.

19. Exhibit B • A wall from a pub with words such as ‘life’, ‘soul’, ‘cool’, ‘insight’, ‘vigor’. These words are specially chosen to set an upbeat mood in the bar, this could lead to faster drinking.