title: Tattoos, piercings, and alcohol consumption.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have found a link between body tattoos or piercings and risky behavior. However, these studies only examined survey data but not real behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young men (mean = 20.6 years) and women (mean = 20.2 years) leaving a bar were asked whether they wore tattoos and piercings or not and were requested to breathe into a breathalyzer in order to evaluate their alcohol consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that participants with piercings and/or tattoos as well as combined piercings and tattoos revealed higher levels of alcohol consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Piercings and tattoos could serve as signs of alcohol consumption for educators, parents, and physicians.
authors.affiliation: Université de Bretagne-Sud, UFR LSHS, Lorient Cedex, France. nicolas.gueguen@univ-ubs.fr
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guéguen
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D046288:Body Piercing / Q000523:psychology*; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013653:Tattooing / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult