Psychiatrists at the University of Washington found that drinking beer with friends at home was associated with fewer negative outcomes. work of scientists published In Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
The study involved 1.6 thousand students who filled out questionnaires that included questions about where and with whom they drank a month before the survey. Scientists collected data from spring 2020 to summer 2021. In the surveys, the volunteers also reported the negative effects of drinking in seven areas of life. These consequences include getting into fights, having student debts, health problems, symptoms of addiction, drunk driving, and more.
The proportion of students who drink outside the home dramatically increased from 41% to 87% during the study period. About a quarter of students reported drinking alone at home and four-fifths reported drinking with friends at home.
After analyzing the data, the researchers found that drinking beer outside the home was associated with greater alcohol consumption and more frequent outcomes in six of seven areas of life. Home-drinkers complained of problems in five areas of life, including symptoms of addiction. Drinking alcohol at home in the company had the lowest number of negative outcomes: participants only complained of binge drinking and calling others.