Survey: 1 in 5 Germans Drink to Get Drunk

[Woodrow]

LONDON (AP) -- Almost 1 in 5 German adults - or 17 percent - believe the point of drinking is to get drunk, according to a survey released Wednesday.

Only 8 percent of Britons drink to become stupefied, according to the survey by Mintel, a market research firm.

"Drinking can be more of a low-key social event in Britain than some may have believed," said Michelle Strutton, consumer analyst at Mintel. "Although Germans may not go drinking as often as the British, when they do drink, many do want to get drunk."

The average German adult drank 255 pints of beer last year, 35 more pints than his British counterpart, the survey found.

Mintel's survey of 35,000 consumers covered France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Britain.

Spain, the third-largest consumer, was the fastest-growing market for beer, but Italy was likely to overtake it. Beer consumption in Spain grew by 17 percent since 1998.

France's consumption was down 13 percent since 1998, though sales of premium beers were holding their own.

Britain has the highest percentage of beer drinkers in Europe, with 61 percent of adults - including 82 percent of men.

In the United States, annual consumption per person in 2002 was around 175 pints, according to industry figures.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRITAIN_BEER_SURVEY?SITE=CACRU&SECTION=HOME

Hmmmm...

[Don Seer]

5 in 5 brits 

[Doggystylin]

really? wow i expected the US to take more beer down than that...all those parties, bars and kegs...im actually kinda dissapointed, lol

[ZILLA THA GOODFELLA]

I guess it's because U.S has a bigger population, therefore the average goes down....

[Don Seer]

haha maybe rod.. could be the influence of the bible belt on stats!

[7even]

Im getting drunk today 

[Jay ay Beee]

Only 8 percent of Britons drink to become stupefied, according to the survey by Mintel, a market research firm.

I struggle to believe that one

[Trauma-san]

Well, since beer tastes like horse piss, and liquor generally tastes like gasoline; when I drink, believe me when I say I'm drinking with the sole intention of getting drunk. 

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^Some people drink to get a buz...

[mauzip]

It's a lot, but I'm sure in a lot of countries the number is higher. Personally, I don't see the point of drinking to get drunk. I drink to get a little bit more loose you know, it's social drinking.

[...'BfCfC'...]

5 in 5 brits 

probably 

[Entreri117]

So what?  Was is this...another attempt to diss Germany?  Fuck off...I have alot of German heritage in my family, and I'm damn proud of it too.  I plan on visiting Germany and staying there for a few monthes when I get older, get the money, and learn the language more.

Hey 7even, hows the weather this time of year, man?  Sweltering hot, or not that bad?

[King Tech Quadafi]

Well, since beer tastes like horse piss, and liquor generally tastes like gasoline; when I drink, believe me when I say I'm drinking with the sole intention of getting drunk. 

[Maradona]

I drink to get a little bit more loose you know

LMAO.

[eS El Duque]

^^Some people drink to get a buz...

^^^i hate when people do that

i only do that if i got somthing very important to do next morning..otherwise..i go get wasted and laid