References to alcohol in the lyrics of chart hits by singers like Katy Perry could be encouraging young people to drink, according to new research.
Nearly one in five songs in modern UK top 10s mentions alcohol, a sharp rise from just a decade ago, said researchers from Liverpool John Moores University.
Professor Karen Hughes, of the university's Centre for Public Health, said: "Health and other professionals should recognise increased alcohol promotion in popular music and ensure this does not reinforce binge drinking culture or contribute to already high burdens of alcohol on young people."
The figure from 2011, 18.5%, is more than double the percentage of references from 2001, at 8.1%. In 1991, just 2.1% of songs referred to drinking, with the 1981 figure at 5.8%.
The study analysed lyrics of singles including US singer Perry's 2011 hit Last Friday Night, which includes lines about drinking "too many shots" and smelling "like a minibar".
More recent hits spoke about drinking in a positive way, "linking alcohol use to valued attributes and favourable outcomes", added Prof Hughes, who also said that US songs and those in the R&B, hip-hop and rap genres were more likely to have mentions of alcohol.
Source: Belfast Telegraph, 02/10/13
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