Alcoholic Cocktails Research Articles

Decoding Preferences: A Comparative Analysis of Non-Alcoholic and Alcoholic Cocktails through Acceptance and Qualitative Insights

This study aimed to evaluate consumer perception and acceptance of non-alcoholic cocktails compared to their traditional alcoholic counterparts in a restaurant setting. Three popular cocktails—gintonic, mojito, and mule—and their non-alcoholic versions (NoLo) were assessed following a three × two experimental design. A total of 600 participants (approximately 100 per cocktail) participated at the Basque Culinary Center’s restaurant. Participants rated their liking of the cocktails using a nine-point hedonic scale and provided open-ended responses about the sensory characteristics and the consumption contexts or emotions evoked by the different cocktails. The results showed differences in the acceptance of the six cocktails, but no significant differences between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions, suggesting that NoLo alternatives were similarly well-received. Open-ended responses were analyzed using latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) to uncover latent topics, and Fisher’s exact test and correspondence analysis were used to identify differences in the mentioned topics per cocktail. Specific sensory attributes, emotions, and contexts were associated with each type of cocktail, but no differences were found between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. These findings demonstrate the viability of non-alcoholic cocktails in real consumption settings, eliciting similar liking scores, sensory attributes, contexts, and emotions in consumers. This study also highlighted the potential of natural language processing techniques for analyzing open-ended questions.

Дослідження особливостей споживання слабоалкогольних напоїв (low-alcohol beverages) дітьми та підлітками в Україні та ідентифікація ризиків для здоров’я населення

Abstract. Recently, the problem of low-alcohol consumption among adolescents and young people has become especially relevant, which was confirmed by the results of global WHO research and the ESPAD project in Ukraine (2019). Aim. Study the age and gender characteristics of low-alcohol beverages among children and adolescents, identify risks and identify ways to minimize the negative impact of low-alcohol beverages on public health. Materials and Methods. The data of the WHO and the ESPAD project, separate national researches on alcohol use by teenagers are studied; analyzed the results of the long-term epidemiological study "Family and Children of Ukraine", which is part of the WHO long-term European long-term study program on parenting and childhood "ELSPAC" (European Longitudinal Study of Parenthood and Childhood). Results. According to the latest ESPAD study in Ukraine (2019), 85.7 % of all adolescents surveyed (more than 2,000 people) have consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime, and the share of those who have consumed alcohol in their lifetime is ten and more times amounted to 46.3 %. According to the Family and Children of Ukraine study (989 people), the youngest age when alcohol was first consumed by adolescents of both sexes was 9 years of age and younger, with adolescent girls being more active than boys in their age. The analysis of the questionnaires ("Adolescent Questionnaires 15-18 years") revealed that among the surveyed adolescents, 67.4 % (725) people drank alcohol at least once in their lives, and there were more girls (69.5 % – 370 people) than boys (65.4 % – 355 people). The highest rates among adolescent boys were recorded in the 14-year-old group: 19.0 % drank beer for the first time, 14.5 % drank wine or champagne, 9.4% drank alcohol, and 7.4% drank strong alcohol. The highest rates of adolescent girls were found in the 15-year age group: beer was consumed for the first time by 16.9%, wine or champagne – 22.4%, alcoholic cocktail – 16.9 %, spirits – 8.6 %. Analysis of the degree of involvement of adolescents in beer consumption showed that at the age of 9 years and younger 3.9% (21) boys and 5.3 % (28) girls tried beer for the first time; at the age of 14 – 19.0 % (103) boys and 14.5 % (77) girls; at the age of 15 – 16.0 % (87) boys and 16.9 % (90) girls. Thus, the first time the interviewed teenagers tried beer was at the age of 14-15. Conclusions. Consumption of low-alcohol beverages among children and adolescents in Ukraine is an acute social problem, the solution of which requires a systematic approach, which should include the formation and promotion of alcohol-free norms among young people, as well as marketing tools focus on priority consumption of soft drinks. Key Words: low alcohol drinks, adolescents, food safety.

Availability and affordability of alcohol and tobacco products for the population: results of a pilot study in the Sverdlovsk Oblast

Aim. To analyze the availability and affordability of alcohol and tobacco outlets using the specialized software developed by the National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine in the pilot subject of the Russian Federation — the Sverdlovsk Oblast.Material and methods. For the first time, experts from the National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine conducted a pilot study to assess the actual state of the infrastructure of a separate subject of the Russian Federation (Sverdlovsk Oblast). The study objects were the urban infrastructure elements in which alcohol and tobacco products are sold. In order to assess the infrastructure, special software was developed using Open Street Maps to perform data collection tasks. The infrastructure data collection for the pilot study took place from January to March 2022.Results. The total number of tobacco outlets is 299, most of which are located in supermarkets (82,6%, n=247). The share of individual tobacco outlets accounts for 13,7% (n=41). Out of 357 supermarkets, 247 (69%) have tobacco sales section. The average lowest price of a cigarette pack is 121,6±15,7 RUB (minimum — 30 RUB, maximum — 207 RUB). Twentyseven (10,9%) of 247 supermarkets located <100 m from educational institutions carry tobacco products. The minimum distance is 64 m. There are 449 alcohol outlets in total, most of them are located in supermarkets — 57,0% (n=256). Individual alcohol outlets account for 40,8% (n=183). Out of 357 supermarkets, 256 (71,7%) have alcohol sales section. Out of 158 individual alcohol outlets, vodka is available in 101 (63%) outlets, wine — in 112 (68,3%) out of 162 outlets, beer — in 112 (68,3%) out of 164 outlets, alcoholic cocktails — in 71 (45,2%) out of 57 outlets. The average lowest selling price of vodka is 255,9±62,2 RUB (minimum — 230 RUB), wine — 180,2±89,3 RUB (minimum — 110 rubles), beer — 51,2±15,5 RUB (minimum — 33 rubles), alcoholic cocktails — 58,9±15,4 RUB (minimum — 37 rubles). In addition, 27 (10,5%) of 256 supermarkets with a liquor section (minimum distance of 64m) are located <100 m from educational institutions, as well as 10 (5,4%) out of 183 individual stores specializing in the alcohol sale (minimum distance of 50 m).Conclusion. The results obtained with the help of the developed tool can be used as arguments for strengthening monitoring of compliance and making changes to the current legislation that restricts the availability of tobacco and alcohol products. The use of the developed tool will make it possible using evidence to make informed decisions in the development and implementation of public health programs at the municipal level.

On the problem of alcoholic cocktails in Russia

The introduction of sanctions against the Russian Federation had a strong impact on the bar industry as a whole. Now it is impossible to export any alcohol from the USA. The European Union announced a project to ban the supply of elite alcohol and wines more expensive than 300 euros. Problems with logistics have arisen since the times of COVID-19, and at the moment they have become even worse. In order to save their reputation, many companies do not want to interact directly with Russian entrepreneurs.Classic cocktails, almost entirely composed of foreign ingredients, will be difficult to replace with Russian counterparts, but it is possible.

Ставлення підлітків та їхніх матерів до проблеми раннього вживання алкоголю

In recent decades, in many countries of Europe and the world, there has been a tendency for an earlier onset of alcohol consumption among adolescents, unfortunately, in this aspect, Ukraine is no exception. Aim. To study various aspects of alcohol use by adolescents and the level of awareness of their mothers to determine measures to prevent adolescent alcoholism in Ukraine. Materials and Methods. As part of the longitudinal study "Family and Children of Ukraine", the personal data of 989 adolescents aged 15-18 years (499 boys and 490 girls) and 1075 mothers were analyzed. Bibliosemantic, sociological and medical-statistical research methods are used. Results and Discussion. During 2014-2019, the share of children and adolescents hospitalized with acute poisoning in the intensive care unit of the National Children's Specialized Hospital "OKHMATDIT" of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine increased from 20.6 to 36.7 %. Research has shown that the vast majority of Ukrainian adolescents (75 %) consume alcohol during their lifetime; 31.0 % of adolescents have done so more than 10 times, and their first attempt to drink alcohol occurs at the age of 9 years and younger among both boys and girls. The survey found that 50.6% of adolescents confirmed that they had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, of which 7.5% of adolescents admitted that they did so more than once a week. The survey allowed to determine the peculiarities of the use of various alcoholic beverages by adolescents in Ukraine: teenagers first "get acquainted" with beer, wine or champagne at the age of 14-15; alcoholic cocktail teenage girls consume for the first time 2 times more often at the age of 15; strong alcoholic beverages are most often consumed for the first time by adolescents aged 15–16 years. It was found that only half of the surveyed mothers (48.4 %) were aware of the fact of alcohol consumption by their adolescent children, while 40.7 % of mothers categorically forbid their children to drink alcohol, 46.5 % of mothers consider it undesirable, 8.7 % mothers do not prohibit alcohol in small quantities. Conclusions. The results of the study prove that the problem of alcohol consumption by children and adolescents in Ukraine remains relevant and requires immediate development of preventive measures for implementation in both school and family environments. Given the insufficient level of awareness of mothers about the fact of alcohol consumption by their children and the insufficient level of understanding of mothers of the dangers of this phenomenon, the need for further research on the prevention of alcohol dependence in adolescence is justified. Key Words: adolescents, alcoholic beverages, mothers of adolescents.

Pictorial warning labels as deterrents of alcohol abuse

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to demonstrate the effectiveness of pictorial warning labels that leverage the risk of obesity as a deterrent against alcohol abuse. It evaluates the impact of three different kinds of warning labels that can potentially discourage alcoholic drinking: (1) a claim, in text format, that cautions consumers about the product (i.e. a responsibility warning statement); (2) a textual warning label, text-format information on the content of the product or the consequences of excessive consumption (i.e. a synthetic nutritional table); (3) a pictorial warning label, an image depicting a food product with a caloric content equivalent to that of an alcoholic beverage.Design/methodology/approachIn Study 1, a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design is used to evaluate the intention to buy different alcoholic cocktails. The stimuli comprised two cocktails that are similar in alcoholic volume, but different in their caloric content. The images of the products were presented across eight warning label conditions and shown to 480 randomly selected Italian respondents who quantified their intention to buy the product. In Study 2, a different sample of 34 Italian respondents was solicited with the same stimuli considered in Study 1, and neuropsychological measurements through Electroencephalography (EEG) were registered. A post hoc least significance difference (LSD) test is used to analyse data.FindingsThe results show that only the presence of an image representing an alcoholic beverage's caloric content causes a significant reduction in consumers' purchase intentions. This effect is due to the increase in negative emotions caused by pictorial warning labels.Originality/valueThe findings provide interesting insights on pictorial warning labels, which can influence the intention to purchase alcoholic beverages. They confirmed that the use of images in the warning labels has a greater impact than text, and that the risk of obesity is an effective deterrent in encouraging consumers to make healthier choices.

The combined use of temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) and discrete time-intensity (DTI) to describe the dynamic sensory profile of alcoholic cocktails

Time Intensity (both continuous-TI and discontinuous-DTI) and Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) represent the main methodologies for describing the temporal evolution of the different sensations developing during food consumption. Sensory description from these methods relies on different aspects of perception, time-intensity covers the time course of selected sensation intensity while TDS describes the profile in terms of dominant sensations and their temporal sequence. Data collection on both these aspects would provide a more comprehensive description of the dynamic sensory profile. In this work, a new approach combining TDS and DTI methodologies is presented with the aim to: 1) describe the time course of dominant sensations and their relevant intensities in alcoholic beverages; 2) propose new graphical tools to facilitate the observation of changes in the intensities of dominant sensations over time within and between products. The TDS profile of alcoholic cocktails was described by trained assessors. TDS curves of each product were visually inspected, the significantly dominant attributes were selected considering three evaluation intervals: attack 0–30 s; evolution 31–60 s; finishing 61–90 s. Meaningful points for intensity evaluation were identified considering the times at which the dominant attributes were close to their maximum DR value in each time interval. The same panel was further trained to perform the DTI task consisting in the evaluation of the intensity of the dominant attributes at the selected time points. The proposed approach described the product dynamic profiles in terms of the time course of dominant attributes intensities. The dynamic spider plot was proposed as a new graphic representation to illustrate and compare the evolution of the intensity of dominant attributes along attack, evolution, and finishing within and across products.

Date-rape evidence through fast determination of γ-butyrolactone in adulterated beverages

An infrared spectroscopy (IR) based methodology has been developed to determine γ-butyrolactone (GBL) in adulterated beverages. The proposed method permits the direct screening of GBL in beverages and involves a minimum sample treatment requiring less than 2 min for quantitative determination of GBL. Sensitivity of IR method was improved by using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) providing detection limits of 0.023 mg g−1. Accuracy of the proposed methodology was evaluated through the analysis of soft beverages and alcoholic cocktails spiked with GBL at concentration levels ranging from 0.075 to 10 mg g−1 providing recovery values from 91 to 100%. GBL was determined in twelve blind-spiked beverages, including from mineral water to wine and cocktails. Results obtained were statistically comparable to those provided by a liquid chromatography (LC) reference methodology and consistent with the spiked values. Therefore, the use of LLE-FTIR allowed a simple, sensitive and quantitative determination of GBL in soft beverages and alcoholic cocktails, thus evidencing its use for sex submission intention.

Affordable low cost filling machine for small producers

Currently, the beverage market is a branch in which big names establish themselves, and in this rigidity imposed by big brands, small brands see great difficulty in their insertion in the market, and even in classifying themselves as a particular competitor of such giants of the market. Marketplace. However, the cachaça branch, a genuinely Brazilian drink, shows itself to be contrary to this logic, with small producers dominating the market as pointed out by Pegn magazine. business plan * (2019). Aguardente 4 Pontes is an emerging company for the production of alcoholic cocktails, throughout its history it has developed in relation to the means of production, and due to the high demand, a project was developed for the automation of its production line, which until then it was manual. For that, it was taken as an objective to build a prototype of this machine to increase the company’s productivity. First of all, the prototype was created and developed through the Arduino UNO component and its ATMEGA328 micro controller, expecting as a result the dynamization of a production line that filled the liquid precisely in the bottle. With the automation of the production line, we seek to make the process faster and more effective, being able to lower the cost of producing a product by replacing human labor in the manufacturing process, thus being able to direct employees to other functions, increasing considerably productivity. This is expected to achieve a model that satisfies the factory’s production needs, so that the company can increase the requirements for agility, efficiency and production capacity. The research is based on readings from other documents and qualitative research. As a methodology, the construction of a prototype, and theoretical basis behind the relevance and value of a low cost filling company in the market, with which it should confirm the effectiveness of the project.

Sensory acceptability and personality traits both determine which contexts are preferred for consumption of alcoholic cocktails

Alcoholic cocktails are consumed in very different situations and then consumers may differ in their favorite context to drink a cocktail. Diversity in the preferred context of cocktail consumption may reflect individual differences in taste responsiveness and personality traits as well as cocktail liking. This study aims at: 1) extending the efficacy of a coupled semiotic and statistical methodology for text analysis in uncovering aspects of preferred contexts of cocktail consumption; 2) testing if specific preferred contexts of cocktail consumption are related to individual differences; 3) investigating the relationships between preferred context to have cocktails and patterns of liking for cocktails. 159 cocktails consumers were characterized by personality traits, cocktail involvement, alcoholic beverages intake and PROP taster status and were asked to describe their preferred context to consume an alcoholic cocktail. Consumers were then asked to taste in blind conditions and rate their liking of six alcoholic aperitif cocktails. Three thematic clusters were identified (relax, sociability, aperitif). The relax lovers preferred a comforting context to have a cocktail; these consumers expressed a lower liking for the six evaluated samples than aperitif lovers but resulted more involved with cocktails as compared to the cluster sociability. This latter group of consumers focused on social aspects and novelty; they reported a higher intake of spirits than the cluster aperitif and showed higher scores in sensation seeking and disinhibition than the other clusters. The cluster aperitif described their favorite context as a “before dinner” situation; they were more involved with cocktails than the sociability cluster. Finally, the three clusters did not differ in PROP taster status distribution. The approach has proven to be useful to collect information and to segment consumers on the preferred aspects of cocktail experience. The study showed that consumer clusters with different preferred context for cocktail consumption differ in liking for the cocktails, personality traits, attitudes and alcohol intake.

Liking patterns moderate the relationship between sensory, emotional and context appropriateness profiles: Evidences from a Global Profile study on alcoholic cocktails

This study aimed to further the development and application of the Global profile approach, by (1) extending it to another product category, alcoholic cocktails; (2) investigating the relationship between sensory-emotions-context appropriateness in consumers differing for liking patterns; and (3) integrating the approach beyond product differentiation to consumer differentiation, thus improving and gaining a further insight into differences among consumers (consumer characterization). This was done taking into account consumer differences in oral responsiveness, personality traits, familiarity, explicit responses to products and implicit attitudes towards brand.Six alcoholic bitter-based cocktail samples were rated for liking, sensory properties, emotions and context appropriateness. Three clusters with different liking patterns for alcoholic cocktails were identified: ‘Fruit-bitter lovers’, ‘New-bitter lovers’ and ‘Classic-bitter lovers. Very small differences in sensory evaluation were found between the three clusters, while instead large differences were found for emotions and, to a lesser extent, for context appropriateness. Furthermore, the relationships among emotions, contexts and sensory properties were different in the three clusters.Clusters differed partly by gender, personality traits and alcohol consumption. A higher percentage of females was found in ‘Fruit-bitter lovers’; these consumers were also characterized by a higher Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) scores and a lower level of alcohol consumption. ‘New-bitter lovers’ liked cocktails with very different sensory characteristics who were associated with specific contexts of consumption. These consumers were less involved with cocktails than the other clusters. ‘Classic-bitter lovers’ cluster liked a broader variety of cocktails and also showed a more implicit positive attitude towards the bitter ingredient brand and a higher familiarity for cocktails in general. The information collected through this multidimensional approach will allow a better understanding of the differences in liking patterns among different groups of cocktail consumers and may be used to improve strategies for product innovation and consumer targeting.

Survival of Salmonella in Peruvian pisco sour drink

Peruvian pisco sour is an alcoholic cocktail prepared with egg white in order to form a creamy texture. This drink has been served worldwide, however concerns about its safety have been raised because of the possibility of egg whites be contaminated by Salmonella. This study was undertaken to analyze the survival of Salmonella in pisco sour drink. A pool of Salmonella was inoculated in egg white and then mixed during 30 s with Quebranta pisco, syrup, lemon juice and ice cubes, reaching 6.1 ± 0.1 log10 CFU/ml. Samples were collected to investigate the Salmonella survival. Microbiological results demonstrated that Salmonella was not detected (<100 CFU/ml) after 6 min of exposure to pisco sour (18% vol., pH 3.0), while predictive results showed that the whole population (6.1 log10 CFU/ml) was completely inactivated after 9 min. The alcohol content associated with a low pH of pisco sour was responsible for Salmonella reduction, however, phenolic compounds present in Quebranta pisco (3.5 ± 0.3 μgGAE/ml) may also have contributed to the Salmonella inactivation. In conclusion, it is advisable to wait 9 min between preparation and consumption of pisco sour when raw egg white is used or prepare pisco sour using thermal processed egg whites.

Individual differences in perceived complexity are associated with different affective responses to alcoholic cocktails

Complexity is a relevant dimension in the development of products preferences and acceptability because of its relationship with hedonic appreciation. The present study aimed to investigate the individual differences in the relationships between product complexity in alcoholic cocktails to liking and to specific sensory properties, situational appropriateness and emotional responses. Six alcoholic cocktails, all of them composed by a common bitter ingredient were selected to represent different complexity levels based on alcohol content, number of ingredients and differences in sensory properties. Products were evaluated by a consumer panel using consumer-led product specific questionnaires. At panel level, the perceived complexity was found to be aligned with the hypothesized range of complexity. When two clusters of consumers based on individual differences in complexity ratings were considered, we observed different relationships between complexity and liking as compared to panel level. Furthermore, the sensory, emotional and situational appropriateness drivers of complexity differed in the two clusters. These data showed that perceived complexity is a multi-dimensional construct in which individuals showing high familiarity with cocktails based on bitter are found to have a very high variation in complexity perception due to a difference in conceptualization of this product dimension compared to individuals with a lower familiarity.

THE LIFESTYLE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ISSUES

Introduction. Alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the health of children, adolescents and young people, including students. Students’ alcohol consumption studies could help prevent the use of harmful psychoactive substances. Materials and Methods. 319 university students par­ticipated in the written survey. SPSS (version 24.0) programme has been used for statistical data analy­sis. The criterion χ2 has been applied and the data was considered to be statistically significant when p ≤ 0.05. Results. The study involved 143 (44.8%) boys and 176 (55.2%) girls. The majority of students (90.3%) have consumed alcohol in the period of the last 12 months. Half of the respondents (47%) indicated that they consume beer several times a month. 58% of the respondents consume wine, and low-alcohol beve­rages (Cider, Mix, Fizz, alcoholic cocktails) several times a month are consumed by 42% of students. 55 % of the respondents do not consume above mentio­ned low-alcohol beverages at all. Vodka and other strong alcoholic drinks are not consumed by 54% of the respondents at all, while 43% of the respondents consume these beverages several times a month. Half of the respondents (48%) have for several times been under the influence of alcohol after having drunk large amounts of alcohol, and 33% of the respon­dents have been under the influence of alcohol more than ten times. Both girls and boys consume vodka and other strong alcoholic beverages equally often. However, girls rather than boys consume wine signi­ficantly more often. Half of the respondents (50%) have noted that friends make major impact on the consumption of alcohol by young people, while 22% of the respondents be­lieve that it is the lack of employment and busyness. In the students’ opinion the key role in the preven­tion of smoking and alcohol drinking lies with pa­rents (37%), friends (27.9%) and the media (25.1%). 75.9% of the respondents said that they had enough knowledge about a healthy lifestyle, and 19.7% of the respondents said that they have doubts as regards their knowledge on healthy lifestyle. Conclusions. Over the last year and during the last month alcohol has been consumed by the majority of students that participated in the survey. Both girls and boys consume alcohol equally often. The key causes of alcohol consumption by students are the influence of friends and the lack of employment and busyness. The study has revealed that most students believe that they have enough knowledge about he­althy lifestyles. However, it is recommended to pay more attention to prevention of alcohol consumption by adolescents and young people. Reducing alcohol consumption should be a priority in health policy formulation at local and national levels.

Dispensing with the Law

Shower Party (2014), an interactive installation by Australian collective Golden Solution, incorporated participants into a system where they became collectively responsible for the life or death of a goldfish. Self-serve alcoholic cocktail dispensers were programmed so that every drink requested would drain an equivalent volume of water from a goldfish bowl. In ‘Dispensing with the Law: Measuring alcohol and its effects in Shower Party’, Asher Warren focuses on the way these alcoholic cocktails were attributed agency metonymically, metabolically and mechanically throughout the four-hour event. Through interrogating the tendency to read the event through what might be termed an alcohol-oriented-ontology, Warren argues that the agency of alcohol in Shower Party was structured through two quite different assemblages. The first, a technological assemblage, dispensed the alcohol and produces quantified metrics from which the effects of alcohol at a ‘population level’ are inferred. The second, a more concealed legal assemblage, governed the service of alcohol through attendants with ‘Responsible Service of Alcohol’ certificates, required to make qualitative judgements based on the behaviour of individuals, according to a legally defined ‘poetics’ of intoxication. These assemblages, Warren contends, not only influenced participants, but also shaped critical engagements with the work that obscure the fluidity of meaning and agency that alcohol might take on when deployed as an aesthetic medium.

Alkoholio pardavimų kontrolės priemonių vertinimas Lietuvoje : socialinės žalos valdymo perspektyva

The literature review was conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of alcohol taxes, hours and days of sale, outlet density, minimum legal drinking age, and the interventions of dram shop liability policies, which are intended for the reduction of excessive alcohol consumption and other alcohol related harms. According to the analytical framework of the effective means of alcohol control, which are aimed at the reduction of excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol related harms, the evaluation of alcohol sales’ regulation was conducted in Lithuania. Alcohol control policy is developed according to the Law on Alcohol Control, which specifies who can sell alcoholic beverages and under what conditions. The main aim of this policy, i.e. to reduce alcohol consumption and its harm to health, has never been reached. The consumption of pure alcohol increases with small expectations in 2009. What is more, the excise duty on alcohol has a tendency to increase due to increasing excessive alcohol consumption and decreased alcohol prices. The production of spirit alcoholic drinks and alcoholic cocktails, recalculated into an absolute (100 %) alcohol, increased by 4.4 % in the country in 2011, as compared with 2010. The consumption of pure alcohol was 14.1 litres per capita (15+ years) in 2011. The excise duty on alcohol is not optimal because it has no significant influence on alcohol price, especially on the price of beer. When alcohol prices have increased in general during the past years, the prices of alcohol beverages decreased 1.1 % in 2011, in comparison with 2010. Although the ban to sale alcohol beverages` off premise from 22 a.m. to 8 a.m. exists in Lithuania, but the accessibility to alcohol still remains 24 hours a day (due to legal alcohol sales on premise). Moreover, the number of licenses to sell alcohol increased, and there were 18550 licenses in 2011. The minimum legal drinking age is 18 years; and there is no ban to sale alcohol to intoxicated persons and no dram shop liability policy in Lithuania.

Low-Dose Alcohol Effects on Attention in Adolescents

Objective: Relatively little is known about the effects of low-dose alcohol effects on attentional performance in adolescents. In the present study, we examined these effects compared to those in adults. Method: 44 healthy subjects (21 adolescents and 23 adults) received either an alcoholic cocktail (average blood alcohol concentration: 0.054 %) or a placebo drink (randomized placebo-controlled). Before and after consuming the drink, participants completed tests on Alertness, Working Memory, Flexibility and Divided Attention. Results: Significant effects were found for the subtest Flexibility, which showed less improvement in the adolescents with alcohol compared to the non-alcohol condition and adults. Furthermore, an age-independent alcohol-induced impairment of the subtest Working Memory was observed. Conclusions: These findings point to a particular vulnerability for alcohol effects in adolescents regarding cognitive flexibility.