The Cultural and Societal Influences on Alcohol Consumption: A Complex Web of Factors

When you think of alcohol, what comes to mind? An indulgent at the end of your week? An escape from your problems? An opening wedge to a new crowd? Or do you not think of alcohol at all? Alcohol consumption is nothing new in America, with alcohol being all around us through many different contexts. And although many people believe that partaking in drinking culture is just picking up a bottle and guzzling it down, many more implications orchestrate an individual to do so, some beyond an individual's control. What leads someone to drink? Cultural and societal factors play a huge role, often in subtle ways. Things like socioeconomic status (SES), ads, social media, peer pressure, and social norms can all influence a person’s decision to drink. Stress and the need for coping mechanisms can also drive people to use alcohol as an escape or comfort. So, what influences these decisions? How much is really a choice, and how much is shaped by the world around us? Alcohol consumption isn’t just a personal decision; it’s influenced by everything from media portrayals to societal pressures. These factors, both external and internal, shape how a person relates to alcohol, often without them even realizing it. 

Alcohol intake doesn’t come from one factor. It is the culmination of several factors that ultimately influence an individual to partake in drinking culture. Using alcohol can be linked to a complex array of factors ranging from individual-level factors, like genetics, to population-level factors such as cultural and societal characteristics. One of the biggest contributors to an individual's decision to drink alcohol is their socioeconomic status (SES). This includes income and economic factors, level of education, employment, and housing status. These factors all influence a person’s decision to drink alcohol. A variety of factors that contribute to an individual's SES create a (dis)advantage for an individual. Those who are in a higher SES consume up to and more than those in a relatively lower SES group. But those who are in a lower SES group are more likely to face the negative aspects of alcohol-related outcomes, meaning they are more likely to bear the repercussions of alcohol consumption (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 35). With that in mind, and considering that “individuals who have higher levels of socials support and community cohesion generally are thought to be healthier because they have better links to basic health information, better access to health services, and greater financial support with medical costs” (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 35), the idea that having an overall higher SES factor will ultimately assist you better in an alcohol-related outcome as the accessibility of health services provides for the protection of health. Meaning the higher your income, the better access to resources that could save you when you are in a potentially life-threatening issue. 

So invariably, more access to health institutes and greater financial support in medical costs often assist an individual in better health circumstances. A population-based study conducted in the United States recently found that in states with greater income disparity between different racial and ethnic groups, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to experience negative consequences and develop alcohol dependence than White Americans. Through this study, it was determined that certain ethnic groups such as African Americans and Hispanics are at greater risk for bearing the burden of the negative repercussions of alcohol consumption. But it is questioned that to an extent, the racial and ethnic differences in alcohol consumption may go hand in hand with as well as be the potential result of different levels of exposure to social disadvantages. In a data analysis from the 2005 NAS, researchers compared the relationship between social disadvantage, stress, and alcohol use among White, Black, and Hispanic Americans–researchers. They found that in all three ethnic groups, exposure to social disadvantage, poverty, unfair treatment, racial stigma, and bias, were associated with a problem drinking, and considering Black and Hispanic people reported greater exposure to such social disadvantages than White people, the higher rates of problem drinking may have been accounted for (Collins 86). When evaluating the factors that affect an individual's decision to consume alcohol, cross-sectional influences must be taken into account, since they change the overall likelihood and chances for an individual to drink. 

When people choose to drink, what might be on their minds when they do? Sometimes people drink to have a “good time ”, celebrate, and remember the great moments in their lives. Others drink to forget: all the bad memories, avoid problems and do what they believe is de-escalating their stressors. When assessing stressors, especially for those who choose to drink, the topic of intersectionality arises. Intersectionality is defined as the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. When assessing why individuals who are minority groups drink to avoid stressors, one must consider the coincided issues that come with it. Many different social and cultural factors predict increased alcohol use, some of which are discrimination, bias, prejudice, and their related stigma. In an analytical study of perceived discrimination and health, it was said that discrimination is seen as a “key social stressor that elicits a physiological response, including elevated blood pressure and release of stress hormones which may have lifelong deleterious effects, including increased alcohol use”(SudhinarasetMay, et al. 37). The research explains how experiencing bias creates a stressor in the lives of many minorities. This can result in different methods of coping with that stress, eventually increasing the chances of some form of substance abuse, specifically alcohol. One particular group that may be at risk for alcohol problems, due to their experiences with discrimination, is those in the LGBTQ community. Many of them face high levels of discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity. A study analyzing the relationship between discrimination and substance use disorders among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States found that more than two-thirds of LGBT adults experienced discrimination. Additionally, individuals who reported discrimination based on race, gender, and sexual orientation were “almost four times more likely to use alcohol and other substances” (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 37). This suggests that individuals who are burdened with stressors like discrimination in life often attempt to cope with it by using alcoholic substances. Whether it be to avoid their problems or forget the issues, alcohol use and abuse through discrimination is seen as a means for an individual to cope with the stress derived from it. 

Marketing and advertisement also play a key role in alcohol consumption. Advertisements and the broad media coverage of alcohol affect societal norms by creating a culture around alcohol and the way we interact with each other in its presence. Media exposure helps influence society's norms and creates a group consensus on its perception, whether good or bad, which then in turn influences our decision to drink. Many alcohol companies' content consumers are adolescents. Although an adolescent's increased consumption of these advertisements does not explicitly indicate the increased usage of alcohol, the consumption of alcohol advertising and having a coincided positive view towards them, often increases an individual's likelihood to drink (Collins 891). Indicating that in alcohol advertising, the youth who encounter these ads may judge and think more positively about alcohol. On the other hand, if young adults encounter ads that they do not judge positively, their beliefs about alcohol might not be significantly impacted. Many studies have linked exposure to portrayals of alcohol use in the mass media with “the development of positive drinking expectancies by children and adolescents” (Anderson, et al. 230). Connecting the idea that a young adult's approval and overall positive rating of an alcohol advertisement elicits them to want to seek out alcohol. 

Since adolescents are young people who have yet to experience alcohol, it is factors like social media and marketing, along with family and social contexts, that form their opinions. Longitudinal studies have found that alcohol commercials particularly affected younger adolescents' “propensity to consume alcohol” (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 35). Alcohol companies target their products and market their advertisements to younger audiences. Consider the emergence of flavored alcoholic beverages as an example of alcohol companies producing to directly feed and enhance their consumers. Alcohol companies create products with sweet fruit flavors, and colorful eye-catching designs and packaging, as well as lower alcohol content, to appeal to the youth, specifically young women. Appealing to their demographics, companies created fruity drinks to mask the taste of typical alcoholic drinks with sugar and seltzers (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 37). The deliberate inclusion of specific positive responses evoking elements in commercials and advertisements is a way alcoholic beverage companies can get their product to be deemed likable so that consumers will buy their products. However, specific elements like humor, animation, and popular music “significantly contribute to the overall likeability of these advertisements and subsequently to advertising effectiveness indicated by an intent to purchase the product and brand promoted by the advertisements” (Anderson, et al. 230). To appeal to a younger audience, companies include what they believe a youthful audience would deem “likable” so they could go buy their product. And although alcohol companies insist that their marketing strategies target adults ages 21 to 29, products such as flavored alcohol drinks remain most attractive to younger drinkers. Young adults that are exposed to alcohol adverts tend to drink more on average than their peers who were less exposed to hefty alcohol advertisements. People under 21 often view and hear “marketing for flavored alcoholic beverages disproportionally on a per capita basis compared with adults and a disproportionate amount of youth consume alcoholic beverages” (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 37). Having this demographic of young adults drinking a specific form of alcohol, due to its heavy marketing towards them through social media, creates a great influx of influence into their minds when inquiring about alcohol consumption. Media and advertising can heavily influence young people's attitudes and behaviors related to alcohol. A longitudinal study that examined young audiences and the consumption of alcohol media has shown that exposure to alcohol advertising can increase the likelihood that young people will start drinking or increase their level of drinking. (Collins 890).This is particularly concerning because young people are more vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol due to their still-developing brains. Additionally, research has shown that young people are more likely to remember and be influenced by alcohol advertisements than adults. This is because they have less life experience, and are more susceptible to the messages and images presented in these advertisements (Collins 890). 

The alcohol industry often targets specific demographics. They use complex targeted marketing strategies that focus primarily on African Americans, Latinos, and American Indians, among other demographic groups, such as youth and other ethnic minorities (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 35). This opens the door of intersectionality within these factors. Micro factors within a factor helping to examine the differences between alcohol advertisements towards people in general, research towards adolescents, and then examining Black, Latinx, and American Indian adolescents. Having an alcohol market that targets specific groups of people results in certain individuals developing positive beliefs about drinking, and creating and expanding environments where alcohol use is socially acceptable and encouraged (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 35). Within researching the marketing aspect of alcohol, there is intersectionality within factors, micro factors within a factor. Examining the differences between alcohol advertisements towards people in general, and then researching adolescents, and then examining Black, Latinx, and American Indian adolescents have resulted in recognizing that certain factors are beyond the control of an individual. The stakes and likelihood of consuming alcohol change with many aspects such as race, age, and socioeconomic status. Racial groups, specifically those living in African-American communities, are often exposed to alcoholic drink advertisements. Specific alcoholic drinks are marketed toward them, in the same way “flavored alcohol” is targeted toward young adults. Although they make up only 13 percent of the United States population, African Americans purchase 67 percent of all malt liquor in America (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 38). Malt liquor, generally has a higher alcohol content, is lower in price, and is sold in larger volumes than any other alcoholic beverage. African American communities are exposed to more malt liquor advertisements than any other racial group. Advertisements and marketing for malt liquor are disproportionately found in neighborhoods with higher percentages of African Americans (Sudhinaraset, May, et al. 38). Moreover, African American individuals are constantly being advertised malt liquor and are encouraged by society and their communities to partake, as malt liquor is disproportionately seen in their communities and popular music. Although the findings should be taken into account when considering an individual's judgment in an advertisement, a positive review of an alcohol advertisement would result in a more positive view of alcohol, thus making them more likely to drink.

When reviewing the question and details on what leads a person to consume alcohol, an individual's motives are major factors to take into account. This can be whether a person consumes alcohol as a social motive, or to cope with their problems. Individuals who consume alcohol as a social motive are usually those who drink for a positive reinforcement, also known as “social-effect motives”. The social-effect motive has been labeled as “drinking to be sociable”, and encompasses drinking to be convivial, to celebrate social occasions, and to have a good time with others. This motive reflects the social aspect of drinking and the desire to connect with others through the consumption of alcohol. The act of drinking for negative reinforcement, or “personal-effect motives”, has been labeled as drinking to cope, and is flexibly defined as the tendency to use alcohol to escape or avoid unpleasant emotions. Research by the Rutgers Center for Alcohol Studies found that social reasons, such as wanting to be convivial or celebrate with others, are the most commonly cited reasons for drinking alcohol. However, heavy drinkers are more likely to report using alcohol as a coping mechanism compared to infrequent drinkers. This suggests that heavy drinkers may use alcohol as a way to cope with stress or negative emotions, while infrequent drinkers may be more likely to drink for social or celebratory reasons (Abbey, Antonia, et al. 660). Many researchers have also found that drinking alcohol to cope with problems, as opposed to social drinking, is more likely to lead to abusive drinking. However, this does not mean that people who partake in social drinking are safe from falling into abusive drinking. Studies have found that in a review and assessment of college student drinkers, heavy drinkers who “drank for social reasons were more prone to later problem drinking than heavy drinkers who drank to cope with personal problems” (Abbey, Antonia, et al. 660). This indicates that there is evidence that both social and coping motives for consuming alcohol can lead to heavy drinking. Ultimately, the findings of this research suggest that individuals who drink alcohol as a means of coping tend to consume more alcohol when they are experiencing stress. Similarly, individuals who drink alcohol for social reasons tend to consume more alcohol when they are with friends who frequently consume alcohol at social gatherings. These findings highlight the importance of considering both personal motives for drinking and the social context in which drinking occurs. 

Having young people being swayed into drinking prematurely and/or excessively sets up a larger issue for their future and their chances of becoming addicted. Studies by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism have shown that those who start drinking regularly in early adolescence are at significant risk for alcoholism in later life. Some people, such as recovering alcoholics and those with family histories of alcohol abuse or alcoholism, may not be able to maintain moderate drinking habits, as their susceptibility to alcoholism is affected by the complex interactions of genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors (Moss 2). Furthermore, children who have a parent(s) with alcohol dependence have been found to be at significantly higher risks for developing alcoholism than those without a parent with alcohol dependence. This increase in risk is “likely related to interactions between genetic factors and factors related to the family environment” (Moss 2). The impact of alcohol in a societal context within a family is harshly consequential, as familial factors can influence the developmental course of alcohol use and alcohol-related outcomes. It is so influential that the alcohol use disorders of individual family members impact the entire family’s functioning and developmental outcomes of the family system and its members (Moss 3). Factors like genes, family culture, and dynamics all contribute immensely to an individual's risk for alcohol use and abuse, as familial norms, upbringing, and operations play greatly in manipulating an individual's decision to drink alcohol.

But why should you care? Alcohol consumption is fun and once people dig too deep into things that don’t matter, it makes it less fun right? Wrong. The undeniable unfairness to some of the factors in an individual's life that might lead to possible problems in alcohol-related matters is concerning. And understanding that the reason why those in a lower SES drink less than those in a higher SES still often suffer the burdens of alcohol-related health concerns. The question of who influences a person's decision to drink is one that opens several other doors of genetics, class, race, and age. These elements don’t act in isolation but together shape an individual's decisions around drinking. Social and economic disadvantages, discrimination, and the normalization of alcohol through media and advertising contribute significantly to the rates of alcohol use, especially among vulnerable groups like ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals. The targeting of younger audiences through appealing advertisements further exacerbates the issue, increasing the likelihood of early alcohol use and its associated risks. Understanding these influences is crucial in addressing alcohol-related harm, as it emphasizes the need for more equitable social support, better access to healthcare, and stricter regulations on alcohol advertising, especially towards at-risk groups. A more holistic approach to alcohol education and prevention can mitigate these risks, fostering healthier choices in individuals and communities.

References 

Sudhinaraset, May, et al. "Social and Cultural Contexts of Alcohol Use: Influences in a Social–Ecological Framework." Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, vol. 38, no. 1, 2015, Vol.38 (1), p.35-45. 

Collins, Susan E. “Associations Between Socioeconomic Factors and Alcohol Outcomes.” Alcohol research: current reviews vol. 38,1 (2016), pp. 35-45. 

Anderson, Peter, et al. “Impact of Alcohol Advertising and Media Exposure on Adolescent Alcohol Use: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.” Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford), vol. 44, no. 3, 2009, Vol.44 (3), p.229-243. 

ABBEY, ANTONIA, et al. "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REASONS FOR DRINKING ALCOHOL AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: AN INTERACTIONAL APPROACH." Addictive behaviors, vol. 18, no. 6, 1993, p. 659-670. 

Collins, Rebecca L., et al. “Exposure to Alcohol Advertising and Adolescents’ Drinking Beliefs: Role of Message Interpretation.” Health Psychology, vol. 36, no. 9, 2017,, Vol.36 (9), p.890-897 

Moss, Howard B. “The Impact of Alcohol on Society: A Brief Overview.” Social Work in Public Health, vol. 28, no. 3-4, 2013, pp. 175–77.