Young people drink significant quantities of alcohol before they go out as they find bars and nightclubs "scary", according to a study.
Researchers at Plymouth University said "pre-loading" - drinking alcohol before a night out - is increasing in revellers aged 18-23.
This is due to them not liking the traditional pub environment and needing alcohol to cope with the "scary" atmosphere of bars and nightclubs, a study found.
The differing price of alcohol in shops and licensed premises was also a major factor in the study, which set out to explain the growth of pre-loading.
Dr Adrian Barton, associate head of Plymouth University's School of Government, led the study, published in the current edition of journal Drugs and Alcohol Today.
"In our minds, pre-loading is fast becoming a significant cultural shift in the consumption of alcohol in the UK," Dr Barton said.
"But policy-makers' understanding of the practice is limited, meaning that alcohol policies locally and nationally are failing to reflect its significance.
Source: Belfast Telegraph, 28/05/14
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