Britons falling out of love with binge drinking

Drinking in Britain dropped more than it has in 62 years last year, with nearly a third of people not drinking at all in an average week.

The figures come from a poll conducted by market research firm Harris Interactive and support data presented by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) earlier this month.  

This undermines fears of Britain’s dangerous binge drinking culture, which, according to the Office for National Statistics, would have about 39% of men and 31% of women regularly exceeding the daily guidelines on how much they should drink.

Don Shenker of Alcohol Concern explained that the disparity between the current figures and binge drinking might stem from the fact that “most people find it hard to remember how much they’ve drunk”.

He added that as such, sales figures indicate “much higher levels of drinking in the UK”.

Similarly, these figures are open to debate bearing in mind Wetherspoon’s announced record profits this financial year and off-trade alcohol sales are on the up.

The figures might prove to be indicative of different type of drinking pattern, or possibly Britons starting to stock pile their bottles.

Marinel FitzSimons, 27.09.2010