In what will no doubt be a shocking revelation to most punk rock listeners, Dr. Lorenzo Stafford, a psychologist from the University of Portsmouth, has released a study claiming that loud music can lead to higher alcohol consumption.

His study found that loud music can cause alcohol to be perceived as sweeter by the drinker, leading to the drinker wanting to consume more. Dr. Stafford said that "since humans have an innate preference for sweetness, these findings offer a plausible explanation as to why people consume more alcohol in noisy environments." Other distracting factors, such as reading a newspaper, did not have the same sweetness-enhancing effect to the same degree as music specifically.

You can read the full story from the UK Press Association here.