Loud music in the pub 'makes you drink more', say scientists

[Snowden]

Loud music in the pub 'makes you drink more', say scientists

Loud music 'arouses the brain - speeding up drinking'

Ear-splitting music in pubs helps to fuel binge-drinking, scientists said last night.

A study showed cranking up the volume made customers buy more alcohol and drink it faster.

The researchers said deafening music did not just drown out conversation, encouraging people to drink more, but it also aroused the brain, speeding up drinking.

The findings will add to concerns about the binge-drinking epidemic and the rise of huge town centre pubs, which are known as 'vertical drinking dens'.

Designed to sell large quantities of alcohol as quickly as possible, they have few seats, which makes customers stand and crams in more drinkers, and few places to rest glasses, encouraging them to drink more quickly.

Dr Nicolas Gueguen, of the University of South Brittany in France, discreetly watched 40 men aged 18 to 25 as they entered city centre bars on Saturday nights, bought drinks and left.

With permission from the owners, he randomly turned the music up and down and observed the effect on different drinkers.

Dr Gueguen said: 'We need to encourage bar owners to play music at more of a moderate level and make consumers aware that loud music can influence their alcohol consumption.'

Prof Adrian North, of Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh - one of Britain's leading experts on music psychology - said: 'I don't believe bars play loud music in a cynical attempt to get people to drink more but they need to be aware it can have this side effect.'



Loud music in the pub 'makes you drink more', say scientists | Mail Online

[Woodmonkey]

So that's why the music in the Saloon is loud!

[Anth]

I for one will only drink more with louder music if I want to be out of the place. Much rather sit in a pub with music that you can hear but where you can still speak to a mate without shouting at them.

[Woodmonkey]

I agree, Anth. The other isn't much fun.

[conlor]

Anth, you're not a dancer?

[Anth]

You dont dance to heavy metal

[jjvman]

I used to go to the places that had a piano bar or small jazz combo. A guy I met in college was crazy ( a good sense of humor), but played the Cordovox at different bars in town. I liked to hear him, because he played a mix of jazz and other styles. I wasn't into heavy metal, but went to a KISS concert once because the guy I worked with wanted to go but didn't have a company car. It was in a closed building with a galvanized steel roof, and outside was some kind of minor speedway (stock cars/demo derby). The music made it seem as if I was in a 55 gallon drum with someone beating on it. one positive experience was a small bar near Columnbus OH (Buckeye town -Ohio State University) - I saw Linda Ronstadt with the Stone Poneys - great show. I was close enough to get her autograph (when I tapped her to ask over the noise, she got a bit antsy (thinking I was a perv - but I wan't on Pads then)) until I waved a cocktail napkin and pen at her.