The majority of Dutch people think they are well aware of facts and myths surrounding the effects of alcohol, but in practice this turns out not to be the case. Many myths are still believed to be true. For example, 78 percent think that alcohol makes you fat and almost three quarters believe that the alcohol hits you harder when you drink different drinks together. 69 percent think that a glass of beer contains as many calories as two brown sandwiches with cheese. This is the conclusion of a study by Drinkwijzer*. To provide more insight into the real effects of alcohol, Drinkwijzer is launching the Drinkwijzer Model today.
The Drinkwijzer Model focuses on the six most important factors that influence alcohol consumption and it becomes clear what their relationship is. For example, 46 percent of the people surveyed did not know that posture is an important factor. Nearly 40 percent were unaware that gender influences the influence of alcohol. The average Dutch person is well aware of the more obvious factors such as the amount of drink and the time frame in which it is consumed. The Drinkwijzer Model can be found at www.drinkwijzer.info and is also part of the renewed Drinkwijzer app that should make people more aware of their drinking behavior, in order to achieve responsible alcohol consumption. The Fact or Fable Test can also be found on the website from today.
The top five fables
● Alcohol makes you fat. (78 percent)
● The effect of alcohol is greater if you drink everything together. (74 percent)
● A glass of beer contains as many calories as two brown sandwiches with cheese. (69 percent)
● Drinking through a straw will make you drunk faster. (66 percent)
● By exercising a lot and sweating, your body breaks down the alcohol faster. (49 percent)
While the fables are often mistaken for facts, the facts presented to the interviewees are usually recognized as such. For example, 81 percent of the respondents know that a full stomach reduces the effect of alcohol. Knowledge in the field of standard glasses is still somewhat lacking: only 48 percent know that a glass of beer contains as much alcohol as a glass of gin.
Men know better
Remarkably, women are generally less aware of the effects of alcohol. In the top five fables, men score significantly better on three of the five questions, with the difference rising to 16 percent. Men also find it easier to recognize the facts: 59 percent know that a beer glass contains as much pure alcohol as a glass of gin, of the women only 36 percent know that.
