Drinkers have long blamed gin for inducing tears and sadness, but a new study suggests that the urban myth may actually have some foundation. 
 
 The biggest ever study looking into how different alcoholic drinks affect the emotions has found that spirits are far worse than beer or wine for triggering bouts of depression and unexpected weeping. 
 
 Almost 30,000 people aged between 18 to 34 were asked about how drinking red or white wine, beer or spirits affected them, either drinking at home, or when out. 
 
 Drinking spirits was also more likely to draw out negative feelings than all the other types of alcohol, according to the research by Public Health Wales. 
 
 Nearly one third of spirit drinkers associated their tipple with feelings of aggression compared with around 2.5 per cent of red wine drinkers. Similarly, nearly one quarter said spirits left them tearful, compared with 17 per cent of red wine drinkers, and nine per cent of beer and white wine drinkers. 
 
 Spirits were also the least likely to be associated with feeling relaxed, with just 20 per cent of people claiming drinks like gin, vodka and whiskey calmed them down. ||||| Spirits are the most likely alcohol type to illicit feelings of aggression, while red wine most likely to make people relaxed, a new study shows. 
 
 According to the world’s largest online survey of legal and illicit drug and alcohol use among adults (Global Drug Survey or GDS), spirits are also the least likely types of alcohol to be associated with feeling relaxed (20 per cent). 
 
 Based on anonymised responses from 30,000 18 to 34 year olds from 21 countries, the findings showed that red wine was the most likely to elicit this feeling (53 per cent), while half of respondents said beer made them feel relaxed. 
 
 The study, published in the BMJ Open journal, included specific questions on alcohol consumption and the feelings associated with drinking beer, spirits, and red or white wine when at home or when out. 
 
 Drinking spirits was more likely to draw out negative feelings than all the other types of alcohol, with nearly a third (30 per cent) of spirit drinkers associating this tipple with feelings of aggression, compared with around 2.5 per cent of red wine drinkers. 
 
 But spirits were also more likely to elicit some positive feelings than either beer or wine. More than half of respondents associated these drinks with feelings of energy and confidence, while more than four out of 10 associated them with feeling sexy. 
 
 Responses differed by educational attainment, country of origin, and age, with the youngest age group (18-24) the most likely to associate any type of alcohol with feelings of confidence, energy and sexiness when drinking away from home. 
 
 Scotland to become first country with minimum price for alcohol sales 
 
 The responses also differed by gender and category of alcohol dependency, with women significantly more likely than men to associate each feeling — except for aggression — with all types of alcohol. 
 
 But men were significantly more likely to associate feelings of aggression with all types of alcohol, as were those categorised as heavy or dependent drinkers, who were six times more likely to do so than low risk drinkers. 
 
 And heavy drinkers were more likely to select any drink that was associated for them with feelings of aggression and tearfulness when at home or when out. 
 
 Researchers said the findings suggest dependent drinkers may rely on alcohol to generate the positive emotions they associate with drinking, as they were five times more likely to feel energised than low risk drinkers. 
 
 While the researchers urged that no firm conclusions could be drawn about cause and effect as it was an observational study, they said understanding emotions associated with the consumption of alcohol was “imperative” to addressing issues of alcohol misuse. 
 
 “Understanding emotions associated with alcohol consumption is imperative to addressing alcohol misuse, providing insight into what emotions influence drink choice between different groups in the population,” they concluded. 
 
 Campaigners have warned that alcoholism is more prevalent to those with underlying issues such as depression and anxiety, and urged that the UK improves education on the dangers of excessive drinking, amid large cuts to services for addicts. 
 
 It comes after The Independent revealed that the number of drug and alcohol addicts getting government-funded support to tackle their addictions has plummeted by 10 per cent in just three years. 
 
 UK news in pictures 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 45 show all UK news in pictures 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1/45 28 December 2017 Alastair Cook celebrates after reaching his double-century during the third day of the fourth Ashes cricket test match Reuters 
 
 2/45 27 December 2017 Sheep are driven to another field in the Cotswolds after overnight snow caused travel disruptions across parts of the UK PA 
 
 3/45 26 December 2017 Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his third goal, Tottenham's fifth, during the Boxing day Premier League match against Southampton at Wembley. He broke Alan Shearer’s record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year, scoring 39 from 36 matches. Kane also finished 2017 as Europe’s leading scorer ahead of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who has 54 goals from 63 appearances in all competitions. Harry Kane has 56 from 52. AFP/Getty 
 
 4/45 25 December 2017 Swimmers get out of the water after taking part in the Christmas Day Serpentine swim in Hyde Park, London Reuters 
 
 5/45 24 December 2017 Stuart Broad of England bowls during a nets session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia. The fourth Ashes test starts on Boxing Day Getty 
 
 6/45 23 December 2017 Staff members console each other as they survey the damage after a fire destroyed a number of buildings at London Zoo. An aardvark has died and four meerkats are missing. Eight zoo workers have been treated by paramedics after a desperate attempt to save the animals from the blaze, which broke out in a petting area. 
 
 7/45 22 December 2017 Druids, pagans and revellers gather in the centre of Stonehenge, hoping to see the sun rise, as they take part in a winter solstice ceremony at the ancient neolithic monument of Stonehenge. Despite a forecast for cloud and rain, a large crowd gathered at the famous historic stone circle, to celebrate the sunrise closest to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. The event is claimed to be more important in the pagan calendar than the summer solstice, because it marks the 're-birth' of the Sun for the New Year. Getty Images 
 
 8/45 21 December 2017 Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, British Defence Minister Gavin Williamson in the presence of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May sign a treaty between the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation in the field of defense and security EPA 
 
 9/45 20 December 2017 A protester wears a 'STOP BREXIT' hat outside the Palace of Westminster Reuters 
 
 10/45 19 December 2017 The Choristers of St Paul's rehearse for a series of services and concerts over the Christmas season at St Paul's Cathedral in London REUTERS 
 
 11/45 18 December 2017 Joe Root, the England captain is interviewed after Australia regained the Ashes. England lost by an innings and 41 run runs in the third test at the WACA in Perth Getty 
 
 12/45 17 December 2017 Photos of Richard Ratcliffe and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been jailed in Iran, on display at their home in north London. Mr Ratcliffe says he believes there is "still a chance" she may be released from an Iranian prison in time for a dream Christmas together. PA 
 
 13/45 16 December 2017 Oxford Street in London is filled with shoppers with 8 shopping days before Christmas Rex 
 
 14/45 15 December 2017 Jonny Bairstow of England headbutts his helmet to celebrate his century during day two of the Third Test match in the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at the WACA in Perth, Australia. Bairstow was embroiled in controversy at the beginning of the tour after lightly headbutting Australian opening batsman Cameron Bancroft in an exchange in a bar 
 
 15/45 14 December 2017 People at the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service PA 
 
 16/45 13 December 2017 Wax figures of Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wearing a Christmas Jumper at Madame Tussauds EPA 
 
 17/45 12 December 2017 Victims and family of victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, Nicholas Burton (left), Sandra Ruiz (second right), Karim Mussilhy (right) and a girl who asked not be named (second left), hand in a petition to Downing Street, asking for an overhaul of the public inquiry. PA 
 
 18/45 11 December 2017 A homeless man on the streets of Manchester. Many people are spending the night on the streets in freezing temperatures as the Met Office continues to issue weather warnings across the country. The Shelter charity has said that more than 300,000 are now homeless across Britain, equating to the population of a city the size of Newcastle Getty 
 
 19/45 10 December 2017 Pedestrians walk over the Millennium Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral pictured in the background as snow falls AFP/Getty Images 
 
 20/45 9 December 2017 British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, and Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, right, with interpreter at centre, during their meeting in Tehran, Iran. Johnson is expected to discuss the fate of detained British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran's government. AP 
 
 21/45 8 December 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker address a press conference at the European Commission in Brussels AFP/Getty Images 
 
 22/45 7 December 2017 Nick Dunn, one of the so-called Chennai Six is greeted by his sister Lisa as he arrives at Newcastle Airport after being released from India after serving four years in jail on weapons charges. PA 
 
 23/45 6 December 2017 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) greets Nigeria's ambassador to the United Kingdom, George Adesola Oguntade (C), and his wife, Modupe Oguntade, during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty 
 
 24/45 5 December 2017 800 abandoned buckets appear at Potters Field Park, London, in a moving tribute to the 800 children who die every day, on average, due to a lack of clean water and sanitation. Just one bucket in the installation, part of WaterAid’s #Untapped appeal, could hold almost enough safe drinking water for one child for a week. Every £1 donated to the #Untapped appeal until 31st January 2018 will be matched by the UK Government. WaterAid / Ollie Dixon 
 
 25/45 4 December 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May smiles to European Union President Donald Tusk as she attends Brexit negotiations' meetings AFP/Getty 
 
 26/45 3 December 2017 The last Supermoon of 2017 sets over Whitley Bay, Northumberland PA 
 
 27/45 2 December 2017 The crowd reacts as England's Dawid Malan fails to stop a boundary during the first day of the second Ashes test match REUTERS 
 
 28/45 1 December 2017 England manager, Gareth Southgate, jokes with Belgium manager, Roberto Martinez, after their sides were drawn in the same group during the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia Getty Images 
 
 29/45 30 November 2017 A supporter of Lauri Love, who is accused of hacking into U.S. government computers, wears a Donald Trump mask as he protests in front of the Royal Courts of Justice in London AP 
 
 30/45 29 November 2017 A sign reading 'We want our future back' is displayed in front of Westminster during an Anti-Brexit Demonstration Rex Features 
 
 31/45 28 November 2017 This year's innovative V&A Christmas Tree, The Singing Tree, is shaped from a cloud of floating words, contributed by visitors, and is created by leading stage and performance designer Es Devlin. Rex Features 
 
 32/45 27 November 2017 David Jones and Margaret Tyler wait outside Kensington Palace after hearing about the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Rex 
 
 33/45 26 November 2017 Sailors from the Royal Navy perform the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace for the first time in its 357-year history PA 
 
 34/45 25 November 2017 Arlene Foster gives her leader's speech during the annual DUP party conference at La Mon House Getty Images 
 
 35/45 24 November 2017 Ex-England footballer Michael Owen prior to riding in a charity race at Ascot racecourse Rex 
 
 36/45 23 November 2017 Shoppers pass a promotional sign for 'Black Friday' sales discounts on Oxford Street AFP/Getty 
 
 37/45 22 November 2017 Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond poses with the budget box at 11 Downing Street EPA 
 
 38/45 21 November 2017 Protestors hold up a banner during a protest held in solidarity with the University of London cleaners' strike Petros Elia 
 
 39/45 20 November 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May greets Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo outside number 10 Downing Street Getty 
 
 40/45 19 November 2017 Grigor Dimitrov reacts to winning the Men's Singles Final with the trophy, during day eight of the NITTO ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London PA 
 
 41/45 18 November 2017 Central Scotland MSP Richard Leonard is congratulated by Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar at the Glasgow Science Centre after he was announced as the new leader of Scottish Labour Jane Barlow/PA 
 
 42/45 17 November 2017 British Military Working Dog Mali poses for a photograph with his handler, Cpl. Daniel Hatley, after receiving the PDSA Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for his heroic action in Afghanistan Reuters 
 
 43/45 16 November 2017 Theresa May chats with resident Val Lay during a visit to a housing estate in London AFP/Getty 
 
 44/45 15 November 2017 Richard Radcliffe leaves the Foreign Office with his local MP Tulip Siddiq, following a meeting with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Marc Ward/REX 
 
 45/45 14 November 2017 Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah after being awarded a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II PA 
 
 Data shows that the total number of interventions across community services, inpatient detoxification, residential rehab and primary care received by clients for addiction fell from 308,118 in 2013-14 to 278,489 in 2016-17. 
 
 Eytan Alexander, founder of UK Addiction Treatment Centres (UKAT), said: “Addiction is a complex disorder and whilst it isn’t always possible to identify the root cause, alcoholism is more prevalent to those who struggle to cope with underlying issues such as depression and anxiety, where the positive short term effects of alcohol are essentially used to self-medicate against that emotional or mental pain and discomfort,” he said. 
 
 “We must provide better education on the dangers of excessive drinking as well as help those who are dependent to recover but ultimately, cutting budgets by £100million annually is a huge threat to that.” ||||| Outside cultural myth and folklore, little attention has been paid to the immediate emotions associated with drinking different types of alcohol. Potential differences in the emotional consequences (both positive and negative) of drinking different types of alcohol (for example, spirits vs beer) and how emotional expectations from experiences of different alcohol types influence drink choice remain relatively unexplored areas. However, measures that look to change drinking behaviour and consequently reduce alcohol-related harms could benefit from a better understanding of how different drink types are associated with diverse social and emotional outcomes and how such relationships vary with demographics and drinking situation (for example, whether drinking at home or when out). In this study, we used the internationally established Global Drug Survey (GDS) to identify which drink types are associated with different emotional outcomes in alcohol consumers from 21 countries and how both demographic factors and levels of dependency on alcohol affect such relationships. Finally, we explored whether emotions that respondents associate with different drink types influence their choices of drinks in different settings. 
 
 Historically, alcohol’s perceived capacity to temporarily reduce negative emotions (and consequently increase pleasure and relaxation) has been regarded as the primary reason for consumption. 11 Individuals across the USA, Canada and Sweden have previously reported associating generally positive emotions with alcohol consumption, emphasising feelings of relaxation and reporting alcohol as an antidote to fatigue and contributing to increasing the values of sociability. 12 Social mood enhancement has also been found to be the most highly endorsed reason for drinking, with alcohol consumption being strongly associated with short-term increases in self-reported positive mood, decreases in negative mood and increases in levels of social bonding. 13 However, although alcohol may initially induce stimulation, consumption has also been associated with triggering negative emotions, such as aggression and depression 14–16 and can lead to out-of-character actions being undertaken by the drinker and exacerbate premorbid personality traits. 17 
 
 Alcohol consumption has a long-standing association with mood, with evidence showing that people consume alcohol to help regulate emotional experiences, reduce negative emotions and enhance positive emotions. 5 6 A substantial body of research exists which outlines drinking motives, defined as the gateway to the decision to consume alcohol and makes the assumption that people drink to achieve a particular goal. 7–9 Social motives have been associated with moderate alcohol use, enhancement motives (for example, increasing levels of confidence) with heavy drinking and coping motives with alcohol-related problems. 7 Evidence also outlines how expectancies about the perceived consequences of drinking alcohol affects whether people start to drink, become regular drinkers or become dependent on alcohol. 10 
 
 Alcohol use is of international public health concern with approximately 3.3 million deaths and 5.1% of the global burden of disease and injury attributable to alcohol consumption in 2014. 1 In addition, there is a growing body of evidence illustrating the harms caused by those who drink alcohol to individuals around them and to wider communities (eg, through alcohol-related violence and antisocial behaviour). 2–4 Understanding why people choose particular drink types and whether different drinks elicit different emotions may help inform more effective public health interventions. 
 
 To identify and quantify the strength of association between variables used in the analysis, χ 2 , Cochran’s Q, McNemar’s test and logistic regression modelling were undertaken in SPSS V.23. Demographics included in analyses were age (categorised as 18–24, 25–29 and 30–34 years), sex, country of residence, educational attainment and levels of dependency on alcohol (based on the AUDIT questionnaire score). Respondents were classified into the following dependency categories: 0–7, low risk; 8–15, increasing risk; 16–19, higher risk; 20+, possible dependence. 21 The emotions associated with drinking individual types of alcohol were analysed. The emotions individuals experienced regardless of the drink they associated with each emotion were combined to make a set of variables that describe the emotions associated with drinking any of the different types of alcohol (spirits, white wine, red wine and beer). In addition, to analyse how emotions relate to drink choice in different settings, what drinks were reported to be most consumed in different settings and the emotions that people associate with those particular drink types were linked. 
 
 In total, 87 925 respondents completed the survey and had reported drinking alcohol in the last 12 months. However, to strengthen the robustness of the effect estimates, the dataset for analyses was restricted to respondents who had reported their sex, were resident in a country which contributed at least 200 responses to the overall survey and were aged 18–34 years old. In total, 4271 cases were excluded due to low country response and 23 076 were excluded as they were out of the desired age range leaving a sample of 60 578. All respondents to the survey reported their gender. For the purposes of examining emotional relationships with different alcohol types, only individuals who had consumed all alcohol types of interest (ie, spirits, red wine, white wine and beer) at some point in the last 12 months and had indicated one of these as their main drink when at home and when outside of the home were included. Although some respondents reported drinking other beverages, for example cider, the numbers were too small for inclusion in the analysis. This resulted in a final sample size of 29 836. Full details of sample demographics used in the analysis are outlined in the online supplementary table A . 
 
 Sociodemographic data were collected on age, sex, country of residence and educational attainment (here categorised into either not attended high school or attended high school) as a proxy for socioeconomic status. The GDS also collects data on the consumption of both legal and illegal drug use and alcohol use. 18 Analyses within this study focus on individual alcohol use and use a range of questions that asked respondents to self-report what type of alcoholic drink(s) they consume and which different emotions they associated with each alcohol type. Emotions included were both positive (energised, relaxed, sexy and confident) and negative (tired, aggressive, ill, restless and tearful). Data were also collected on what types of alcohol were most likely to be drunk at home or when out and levels of consumption for each participant using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were also calculated. 21 
 
 The GDS is the world’s biggest drug survey. Using encrypted online survey methods, the GDS is implemented as an annual, opportunistic, self-reported, cross-sectional survey of alcohol and drug use among adults over the age of 16 years. 18 The GDS 2016 was launched online in November 2015 in 11 languages (English, German, Greek, Polish, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Flemish, Hungarian and Danish) and promoted internationally through national media (newspapers, magazines and social media networks). While the GDS non-probability methodology does not allow for the assessment of general population prevalence, the GDS sample enables examination of drug and alcohol behaviours and perceptions across age groups, gender, sexual preferences, place of residence or mental health status within the sample. GDS can efficiently add nuance and add depth to the findings of more representative surveys, which are often less detailed and based on smaller samples. The GDS has previously been used to examine both alcohol and drug use, for example, exploring the risk of emergency admission after drug use, trends in self-reported drug use such as nitrous oxide and examining harm to others from alcohol consumption. 4 19 20 While it was not designed to create supranational or nationally representative population estimates, it does provides access to a large sample of self-selected individuals. Other publications provide full details of other aspects of the utility, design and limitations of the GDS. 4 19 
 
 The youngest age group indicated a very strong relationship with choosing any type of alcohol that made them feel energised, sexy and confident when drinking outside of the home. However, these relationships were not as strong when drinking at home. The oldest age group more frequently chose to drink alcohol that made them feel tired and relaxed when out and the youngest age groups selecting drinks that made them feel tired when drinking at home (see online supplementary table E). 
 
 Finally, how the different emotions associated with drink type influence people’s choices of alcoholic beverages in different settings was examined, taking into account confounding demographic factors ( table 5A,B ; see online supplementary table E ). For each type of emotion, significant differences were reported between emotions elicited by the types of drinks which were mostly drunk at home compared with a night out ( table 5B ). Reporting a dependency on alcohol showed a strong association with drinking any type of alcohol which made them feel energised, sexy and confident whether drinking at home or when out. In addition, respondents dependent on alcohol reported a greater tendency to select any type of drink that elicited emotions of aggression and tearfulness when drinking at home or when out. The association between emotions of aggression and dependency was noticeably strongest, independent of setting. Women more frequently reported drinking types of alcohol at home and when out which elicit the emotion of feeling sexy compared with men ( table 5B ). 
 
 Emotions reported with each alcohol type varied by age group. For example, feeling tired or relaxed when drinking spirits and red wine were more frequently reported by the youngest age group, whereas for white wine and beer, these emotions were more frequently reported by the oldest age group. In addition, emotions associated with each drink type were more frequently reported by respondents who had not attended high school or higher education, with the exception of feeling sexy, ill or restless when drinking spirits, relaxed or tired when drinking red wine and energised or relaxed when drinking beer. Italian residents more frequently reported feeling energised while drinking red wine and those from Colombia were more likely to report feeling energised when drinking spirits (see online supplementary tables C,D ). 
 
 For each individual drink type, positive emotions were more frequently reported by those with higher alcohol dependency scores. This was also true of negative emotions, with the exception of feeling tired when drinking spirits or white wine. Women were more likely to report each emotion when drinking spirits, red wine and white wine, with the exceptions of feeling relaxed, tired or aggressive with spirits, and energised with red wine. Men were more likely to report each emotion when drinking beer, apart from feeling tearful ( table 4 ). 
 
 Differences in emotions reported by respondents when drinking alcohol of any type (inclusive of spirits, white wine, red wine and beer) were examined for sociodemographic groups. With the exception of feeling aggressive, women were significantly more likely than men to report each emotion as a result of drinking any type of alcohol ( table 2 ). Younger age groups (18–24 years) most frequently reported most emotion types when drinking alcohol. Exceptions were aggression and tiredness where there was no significant association with age ( table 2 ). Respondents’ alcohol consumption (AUDIT score) was strongly associated with both positive and negative emotions, with heavier drinkers more likely to report all emotional changes as a result of drinking. This relationship was especially strong for the emotions of aggression, whereas the increase in tiredness was negligible( table 2 ). A greater proportion of those with lower educational attainment reported both positive (energised, sexy or confident) and negative (aggressive, ill or tearful) emotions when drinking alcohol compared with those who had attended high school ( table 2 ). Bivariate associations between emotions and both alcohol dependence level and demographics remained significant after using logistic regression modelling to control for confounding relationships between variables ( table 3 ; see online supplementary table B for country of residence). Thus, women had higher odds of feeling all emotions compared with men apart from aggression where men had significantly higher odds. Younger age groups had higher odds of feeling all emotions apart from tiredness and aggression. Odds of reporting all emotions except tiredness increased with AUDIT score category, in particular feelings of aggression ( table 3 ). Differences in emotions were also reported by respondents from different countries with the highest association with the positive emotions of feeling energised, relaxed and sexy being the South American sample of Colombia and Brazil. For negative emotions, the country sample with the strongest association with aggression when drinking alcohol was Norway and for feeling restless was France (online supplementary table B). However, caution must be taken when interpreting these results due to the small sample for each country. 
 
 Results indicated that respondents attributed different emotions to drinking different types of alcohol ( table 1 ). Over half of all respondents associated drinking spirits with emotions of energy and confidence and 42.4% reported that drinking spirits made them feel sexy. Respondents were most likely to report feeling relaxed (52.8%) when drinking red wine; although almost half of respondents also reported feeling relaxed when drinking beer ( table 1 ). Drinking spirits was more likely to draw out feelings of aggression, illness, restlessness and tearfulness than all other drink types ( table 1 ). However, red wine was the most likely to make individuals feel tired (60.1%, table 1 ). 
 
 Discussion 
 
 Using an international sample, our study found that different types of alcohol are associated with different types of emotions, eliciting both positive and negative emotions (table 1), and highlights the complex relationships between drink choice, emotions and the settings in which alcohol is consumed. Emotions were found to differ substantially between different demographic groups, and these relationships were maintained after accounting for confounding sociodemographics and level of alcohol dependency (table 3). The association between drinking spirits and the emotion of aggression was a key finding with 29.8% of respondents reporting this relationship, significantly higher than other types of alcohol (p<0.001; table 1). Findings suggest dependent drinkers (AUDIT >20) rely on alcohol to obtain the positive emotions they associated with drinking, being five times more likely to feel energised compared with low risk drinkers (adjusted OR (AOR) 4.7; 95% CI 4.07 to 5.50; table 3). However, heavier drinkers also reported negative emotions more frequently with respondents being just over six times more likely to report feelings of aggression (AOR 6.4; 95% CI 5.79 to 7.09; p<0.001; table 3), which may in part be a result of drinking greater quantities of alcohol in a session so increasing the impact on emotions. Conversely, relationships between tiredness and drinking pattern were negligible and for some drink types (spirits, white wine), heavier drinkers were less likely to report feelings of tiredness. These results are consistent with existing evidence on heavy drinking and alcohol dependence, including the development of tolerance to the sedative effects of alcohol.22 23 The reported emotions for wine differed, with red wine drinkers more likely to report tiredness than white wine drinkers. Within the limits of the GDS, it was not possible to explore, for instance whether this was due to drinking each at different times of day or expected effects of specific alcoholic drinks potentially influenced by culture or marketing. Women more frequently reported all emotions apart from feelings of aggression, and younger age groups more frequently reported all emotions with the exception of aggression and tiredness (table 3). Our findings support previous research which highlights that male beer drinkers show less aggression than men who drink spirits (table 4).24 Spirits are a popular choice of drink in a number of countries, with substantial proportions of the population consuming spirits on a regular basis.25 Within our sample, spirits were more likely than beer, red wine and white wine to elicit the majority of positive emotions when consumed. However, they were also more likely to be associated with negative emotions (table 4). These findings suggest that individuals make the assumption that positive emotions associated with drinking particular types of alcohol will outweigh the negative emotions. The continued selection of particular types of alcohol with negative emotional outcomes may in part rely on positive emotions being emphasised by almost ubiquitous advertising26 27 and negative emotions framed as infrequent and largely a result of abuse. Finally, our results show that individuals dependent on alcohol more frequently associated emotions with alcohol whether they were drinking at home or when out (table 5). 
 
 Existing literature illustrates that previous experiences with alcohol are related to intentions to drink alcohol in the future.28 Our analyses suggest that individuals are, to some extent, consuming beverages in different settings based on the emotions they perceive to be associated with particular types of alcohol (table 5). These findings suggest that individuals inadvertently select drinks which are known to elicit negative emotions because they crave the positive emotions that go with them and link with existing evidence that those dependent on alcohol drink alcohol as a coping mechanism rather than drinking for pleasure.7 This was evident particularly among heavier drinkers. This highlights a potential emotional gap which individuals may be looking to fill by drinking alcohol. This gap can be a concern, particularly with exploitation by the alcohol industry with advertising focused on pushing the positive emotions associated with alcohol use without outlining the negatives which go alongside them. 
 
 Understanding the relationship between different types of alcohol and the emotions and associated behaviours they may elicit may help improve public health messages and health promotion and may help to prevent escalation to dependent drinking.6 7 10 The results from this study can be used to influence behaviour change policy and contribute significantly to the limited evidence base on alcohol use and emotions. Previous studies have tended to focus on the effect of alcohol as a whole.5 6 These results suggest that the different types of alcohol are not necessarily perceived or used in the same way and therefore harm prevention policy may benefit from treating types of drinks differently, especially when addressing spirits and, for instance their significant association with aggression (table 4). 
 
 A strength of the GDS is that it allows relationships between alcohol and emotions to be explored within a large, international sample which includes a high proportion of younger age respondents who can be difficult to capture via telephone or face-to-face interviews. This age group corresponds with age groups often studied within this field of research, for example students and adolescents.5 15 28 Using a unique range of questions, the survey data allowed for novel analysis on how groups within the survey population associate emotions with different types of alcohol in different settings. More specific surveys which are perhaps limited for instance to only one country (eg, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) in America29) can examine these issues in more details within a more tightly defined respondent group. 
 
 Although the sample size for the study is large, the opportunistic nature of the survey means it should not be considered representative of any country or region. Thus, the analyses undertaken should not be considered to represent proportions of any population other than the study sample. As the sample was self-selected, there may be an over-representation of individuals who are more likely to participate in drug and alcohol use. The sample may also be biased towards those with access to the internet. However, confounders of sociodemographics and alcohol dependency were accounted for in the analysis to illustrate the associations between emotions and drink types in different groups of the population. This study uses data which has been self-reported by respondents and the emotions associated with alcohol consumption may have been affected by confounding factors such as mood prior to drinking and mixing of alcohol drink type in individual drinking sessions which were unable to be controlled for. Additionally, without knowledge about the amount of alcohol consumed and the rate at which it was drunk, such inferences remain speculative. Respondents may have also undertaken other activities while consuming specific drinks such as dancing, socialising and drug use, which may have affected emotions reported to be associated with each drink type. We also cannot rule out the impact of recall bias and the deliberate misreporting of results. 
 
 This study is an initial exploration to understand the relationships between perceived emotions and alcohol consumption. Further research is required into why people choose to consume specific drink types in different settings, their mood prior to drinking, drinking patterns including combination of drinks consumed on individual occasions, differences in alcohol volume, mixers consumed with drinks and the effect of alcohol advertising on the perceived mood of drinkers. This arena of evidence may also benefit from additional qualitative research to further understand how alcohol makes people feel and how this affects drink choice in different settings. Research using an experimental approach is also an area for future research to examine the immediate effects on individual emotions when consuming alcohol. ||||| Spirits are associated with confidence and red wine is linked to relaxation – and researchers hope findings will help people consider alcohol’s emotional effects 
 
 While indulging in booze can inspire cheerful merrymaking in some, for others it can lead to a tearful journey to the bottom of the glass. Now researchers say the emotions people feel when drinking could be linked to their tipple of choice. 
 
 An international survey has revealed that spirits are often associated with feelings of energy, confidence and sexiness – but on the flip-side anger and tearfulness – while red wine is the drink most commonly linked to relaxation, but also tiredness. 
 
 While the researchers say the reasons for the links are likely to be complex, they hope the study will urge individuals to think carefully about the alcohol they consume. 
 
 Drink and be merry: why alcohol makes us feel good, then doesn’t | Dean Burnett Read more 
 
 “From a public health perspective a lot of the time we have focused on issues around cancer, heart disease and liver disease – but an important aspect is the balance of emotional outcomes that people are getting from alcohol,” said Mark Bellis, co-author of the research from Public Health Wales NHS Trust. 
 
 The study, published in the journal BMJ Open, is based on an anonymous online questionnaire that was completed by individuals aged between 18 and 34 who had drunk alcohol in the previous year. Part of an international survey on alcohol and drug use, the questions probed the type of alcohol drunk and associated emotions, and were asked in 11 different languages, with participants taking part from 21 countries around the world. 
 
 The results, based on answers from almost 30,000 participants who had reported consuming both red and white wine as well as beer and spirits in the past year, reveal that certain types of alcoholic drink appear to be linked to particular emotions. 
 
 Almost 53% of participants said drinking red wine made them feel relaxed – an emotion that was also linked to beer by nearly 50% of participants, and white wine by nearly 33%. By contrast, spirits were linked to feelings of confidence by just over 59% of participants, energy by more than 58% and sexiness by just over 42%. 
 
 However, spirits were also more likely to be linked to negative feelings including tearfulness, with almost 48% of participants linking such tipples to feeling ill and nearly 30% to aggression. Meanwhile, more than 60% of participants said they linked red wine to feeling tired. White wine was the tipple least often linked to tearfulness, with only 10% saying they associated it with becoming weepy. 
 
 “By and large spirits are having a stronger relationship in pretty well all of the outcomes – apart from those associated with red wine, around relaxation and tiredness,” said Bellis. 
 
 Further analysis, taking into account age and other factors, revealed that women were generally more likely to report feeling the various emotions on drinking alcohol, with men more likely to report feelings of aggression. 
 
 The proportion of participants reporting the various emotions, both positive and negative, generally increased with overall heaviness of drinking. Further differences were found for the various drinks when participants’ age, educational background and sex were considered. 
 
 Drinking was found more likely to be linked to feelings of relaxation and tiredness when done at home; confidence, sexiness, energy – and feeling ill or aggressive – were more likely when out. 
 
 The truth about alcohol, from gin tears to champagne hangovers Read more 
 
 However, the study had limitations, not least that it drew on a self-selecting group of participants, meaning it might have appealed to those more likely to take drugs and drink. It also did not take into account how much participants drank on any one occasion or whether they mixed drinks, and relied on participants thinking back to how they felt at the time. 
 
 
 
 What’s more, it is not clear whether the alcohol itself triggered the emotions, or whether the social situation also played a role, while the concentration of the alcohol, presence of other ingredients, and people’s expectations of the drinks could also be important factors. 
 
 Matt Field, professor of psychology at the University of Liverpool who was not involved in the research, said that the study was valuable, and agreed with the authors that it would be interesting to explore whether they way in which different drinks are advertised might affect the emotions people link to them. 
 
 But, he said, it was far from clear that spirits were more likely than other alcoholic drinks to make people aggressive. 
 
 “Because it is a cross-sectional snapshot there are a lot of things that might explain it,” he said. “It could be that people who are more prone to aggression after alcohol might favour spirits for reasons that we don’t know.” 
 
 
 

– The desired mood of your Thanksgiving meal should determine what type of alcohol you serve: red wine for a sleepy, relaxed atmosphere or spirits for a sexy, confident air. That's the conclusion of a new survey analyzing how different types of alcohol make people feel. The reasons behind the feelings aren't fully understood, but researchers say there are clear trends in the emotions certain alcoholic beverages brought out in 30,000 people, aged 18 to 34, from 21 countries. For example, more than 60% said red wine made them feel sleepy, while 53% said it made them feel relaxed, reports the Guardian. Similarly, nearly 60% of participants said spirits made them feel confident and energetic, while 42% said spirits made them feel sexy. But almost 50% said spirits made them feel ill, while 30% drew a link with aggression, according to Public Health Wales. Men and heavy drinkers were more prone to report aggression, per the Independent, while women were more likely to report all other emotions, tearfulness among them. Tearfulness was reported by almost 25% of spirit drinkers, 17% of red wine drinkers, and 9% of beer and white wine drinkers, reports the Telegraph. Half of participants also said beer made them feel relaxed, compared to 33% of white wine drinkers, researchers write in BMJ Open. The study didn't consider the mixing of alcohols. It's also unclear if social situation or other factors affected participants' feelings. Still, researchers say drinkers, as well as those who study alcohol abuse, should take the trends into account.