Happy hours and other alcohol discounts in cafes: Prevalence and effects on underage adolescents

Adolescents' alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors may be affected by marketing efforts of the alcohol industry, retailers, and the catering industry. Most research has focused on the effects of commercials and media exposure. This article investigates another aspect of alcohol marketing in the Netherlands: the use of alcohol discounts by cafes. The prevalence of alcohol discounts was studied using unobtrusive cafe observations and website content analysis. It is estimated that 39% of the cafes offer some kind of cash discount for alcoholic beverages. The effects of alcohol discounts were investigated in a survey among adolescents (14-17 years old, N = 409). Adolescents reported using alcohol discounts eight times a year, and consuming more alcohol when discounts were offered. Alcohol discounts, however, do not attract adolescents to visit particular cafes and/or to spend more money when going out. No differences were found between minors (16-17 years) and underage adolescents (14-15 years).