The situational riskiness of alcoholic beverages

Using face-to-face interview data on a sample of young adults, this study investigates the perceived risk of alcohol consumption in drinking and driving, interactions with police and the probability of intoxication. Results show that beer is perceived as less risky than liquor in two risk situations, with men and drinkers in particular ranking beer as a lower risk beverage. When intoxication is considered, drinkers rank their preferred beverage as less risky than their alternative. Finally, an analysis of the relative riskiness of beer in comparison to liquor reveals that beer is perceived as less risky than liquor. This consensus does not vary significantly by sex or most other respondent characteristics.