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Pop songs could be encouraging young people to drink alcohol. A study from the John Moores University in England looked into the extent to which lyrics refer to drinking. Researchers said public health warnings on liquor may be of little value because of how many references there are to alcohol in pop songs. One in five songs in the UK music charts describes drinking intoxicating beverages. This figure is double that from a decade ago. Songs from 1981 contained much fewer references to alcohol. John Moores said some of the rise is because of American songs.

Researchers say young people listening to songs about alcohol is "a major concern". Professor Karen Hughes warned that some songs are a "form of advertising and marketing for alcoholic products." She said alcohol advertisements are already a worry for young people, and that references to alcohol in pop songs could give a positive message to young people about drinking. Dr Hughes added that health and other professionals should watch carefully to ensure that popular music does not become a way of "reinforcing and extending cultures of intoxication and alcohol-related harm".