UK NEWS

LOUD MUSIC DOES DRIVE YOU TO DRINK

Helping hand

Saturday July 19,2008

By Polly Buchanan

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IT is one of those modern-day annoyances that is guaranteed to spoil a good night out.

You pop into a cosy-looking pub with a friend for a quiet drink only to end up shouting at each other all evening to make yourself heard above the blaring music.

But rather than being just a mild irritant, it seems loud music in pubs and bars is all a cunning ruse to make people buy more booze.

A study has found that turning up the volume actually encourages customers to drink quicker.

Researchers spent three Saturday nights adjusting music levels in two bars and discovered the average number of beers ordered per person rose from 2.6 to 3.4 when the music was louder.

Nicolas Gueguen, a professor of behavioural sciences at the University of Southern Brittany in France, who led the study, put forward two theories for the findings. He said: “High sound levels may have caused higher arousal, which led the subjects to drink faster.

“Second, loud music may have had a negative effect on social interaction, so that patrons drank more because they talked less.”

But a spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association dismissed the study. “At last we have the solution to Britain’s pub closures,” he said. “All we have to do is pump up the volume and people will come flocking back to pubs and start ordering drinks.”

High sound levels may have caused higher arousal, which led the subjects to drink faster

Nicolas Gueguen, a professor of behavioural sciences

LOUD MUSIC DOES DRIVE YOU TO DRINK ? ? ?

20.07.08, 12:29pm

Personally I can STAND Loud Music.

Its Bu££$hit Brown and his New Labour Incompetence Party thats driving ME to drink.

• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment

LOUD MUSIC DOES DRIVEYOU TO DRINK.

19.07.08, 1:19pm

Music is, and always has been a powerful motivator, psyched up people listening to loud moronic beat 'Ibiza' beat ! turn to all sorts of mischief. Remember the old tarzan films with the wicked witchdoctor, the red indian medicine man, demonic ! Stop the loud incessant beat that youngsters listen, and drink too, sreaming and bawling into the darkness, crazy man, crazy, psyched up for trouble.
You don't believe me ? ......Ask the psychologists / experts. Self hypnosis at least.!

• Posted by: juan01 • Report Comment

LOUD MUSIC DOES DRIVEYOU TO DRINK.

19.07.08, 1:04pm

Music is and always has been a powerful motivator.

• Posted by: juan01 • Report Comment

I CAN'T SEE THE POINT

19.07.08, 11:00am

I can't see the point in going to a pub/bar with no dancefloor yet they insist on drowning out every conversation.

• Posted by: LibLabConspiracy • Report Comment

LOUD MUSIC....

19.07.08, 9:42am

doesn't encourage me to stay and drink more, I just turn around and walk out, the same in shops with loud music, I go out for a quiet evening with friends to chat and have a good time, not listen to someone elses choice of head banging music

• Posted by: Disgruntled • Report Comment