Bangs for the buck

The BSA released:

A segment on ZM’s Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley show irresponsibly promoted alcohol and the broadcaster failed to take adequate action over the breach, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found.

The decision relates to a complaint over an on-air discussion by the show’s hosts about a Reddit post titled “Highest alcohol percentage for least amount of bucks, what’s the best from any liquor store?”.

The BSA agreed the item, aired on the morning of 15 March 2024, amounted to alcohol promotion that was socially irresponsible. It found broadcaster NZME was correct to have upheld the complaint by Communities Against Alcohol Harm (CAAH) that the segment breached the promotion of illegal or antisocial behaviour standard.* …

The Authority noted the hosts spoke about deliberately looking for the cheapest alcohol with the highest alcohol by volume, and referred to wanting “bang for buck” and “I’m not going to drink if it’s not going to get me drunk”.

I don’t want to comment on the wisdom of the radio hosts’ segment, but can comment on the bangs for the buck issue when it comes to youth drinking.

A while ago I did eight focus groups of young drinkers around RTDs and other products. And something that come up in almost everyone of them was the “bangs for the buck” mantra.

These 19 year old maths prodigies go around a store looking at the number of standard drinks in each product and the price, working out in their heads the cheapest price per standard drink (often spirits or cask wine).

The irony is that the requirement to list how many standard drinks is in a product was introduced as a health measure to promote people drinking less. Yet it has turned out to be something that helps young people to get drunk for the cheapest amount of money!

A good example of unintended consequences.