Binge drinking Britain: 57 per cent rise in number of women drinking heavily in three years, major report shows

The number of British binge drinkers has risen by 13 per cent, a major report has found, with women behind the rise.

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that in 2016, 29.8 percent of people in Great Britain and Northern Ireland reported ‘occasional heavy drinking’.

However, by 2019 this had risen to 33.6 per cent, raising concerns among alcohol abuse charities.

Heavy episodic drinking is defined as consuming 60 grams or more of alcohol – the equivalent of 7.5 units – on at least one occasion in the past 30 days.

This is the equivalent of drinking just over three pints of medium strength beer, or five small glasses of wine, or about seven single-shot gin and tonics in one sitting.

While the number of men reporting binge drinking has remained largely the same, the number of women has clearly increased.

In 2016, 13.8 percent of women in the general population reported heavy occasional alcohol use – and this had risen to 21.7 percent in 2019.

Charities warned that alcohol continues to destroy the lives of tens of thousands of Britons every year and called for the introduction of preventative measures such as minimum prices.

However, the report also shows that average daily alcohol intake is expected to decline by 2025.

Figures show that in 2019, Britons drank an average of 23.5 grams of alcohol per day – the same as half a liter of strong lager.

But by 2025 this is expected to rise to half to 10.8 grams of alcohol per day – more like an alcopop.

The latest data also shows that beer is the country’s favorite drink, accounting for 35.4 percent of alcohol consumption, closely followed by wine at 34.6 percent.

This marks a change from 2016, when wine was the big favorite.

Meanwhile, spirits are now preferred by 23.6 percent of the population.

A total of 78.3 percent of people over the age of 15 in Britain say they are ‘current drinkers’, with 85.3 percent of men saying they have had a drink in the past year, compared to 71.5 percent of the women.

A further two-thirds of young people aged 15 to 19 report being current drinkers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Finally, the figures show that alcohol-related deaths fell by 30 percent between 2010 and 2019.

Outside Britain, the report shows that total alcohol consumption per person around the world fell slightly from 5.7 liters in 2010 to 5.5 liters in 2019.

The highest levels were seen in Europe, followed by America.

Meanwhile, 2.6 million deaths per year are attributable to alcohol consumption, accounting for almost 5 percent of all deaths worldwide.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said: ‘Substance use seriously harms individual health, increases the risk of chronic diseases and mental health problems and tragically results in millions of preventable deaths every year.

The NHS recommends people drink no more than fourteen ‘units’ of alcohol – around six glasses of wine or pints of beer – per week. This has been diluted in recent decades in light of studies illustrating the health hazards of alcohol

“It places a heavy burden on families and communities, increasing exposure to accidents, injuries and violence.

“To build a healthier, more just society, we must urgently commit to bold actions that reduce the negative health and social consequences of alcohol use and make substance use disorder treatment accessible and affordable.”

Dr. Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: ‘The health damage caused by alcohol affects tens of thousands of people every year and the heartbreaking thing is that it is completely avoidable.

‘Alcohol causes harm to more people in Britain than most of us realise, and this ripples out across families, communities and society.

‘That’s why it’s so important to take preventative measures to stop the damage before it happens. We urgently need population-wide approaches that are proven to work.

‘This means that there must be good controls on the marketing of alcohol, especially online; minimum unit prices for alcohol so that strong alcohol cannot be sold at pocket money prices; better support and treatment, and proper alcohol labeling so we are all well informed about what’s in our drinks.’

DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK

A screening tool commonly used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). The ten-question test was developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization and is considered the gold standard in determining whether someone has alcohol abuse problems.

The test is reproduced here with permission from WHO.

To complete it, answer each question and record the corresponding score.

YOUR SCORE:

0-7: You are within the reasonable drinking range and at low risk for alcohol-related problems.

More than 8: Indicate harmful or dangerous drinking.

8-15: Medium risk level. If you drink at your current level, you risk developing problems with your health and life in general, such as at work and in your relationships. Consider cutting back (see below for tips).

16-19: Higher risk of complications from alcohol. At this level it can be difficult to cut back on yourself because you may be dependent and therefore need professional help from your GP and/or a care provider.

20 and older: Possible dependency. Your drinking is already causing problems, and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider quitting gradually or at least reducing your alcohol consumption. You should seek professional help to determine your level of dependence and the safest way to quit alcohol.

Severe dependence may require medically supervised withdrawal or detox in a hospital or specialized clinic. This is due to the likelihood of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms occurring during the first 48 hours, requiring specialist treatment.