Alcohol misuse: tackling the UK epidemic - London

BMA Board of Science
Data from various alcohol use surveys provide a more detailed picture of alcohol consumption
patterns and trends. In the UK, men are more likely to exceed recommended UK guidelines and to
drink heavily compared to women. The GHS 2006 found that 40 per cent of men and 33 per cent
of women in Britain exceeded recommended daily guidelines (4 units per day for men and 3 units
per day for women) on at least one day in the previous week. 11
The proportion of men who drank
heavily (8 or more units per day for men and 6 or more units per day for women) on at least one
day during the previous week was 23 per cent compared to 15 per cent of women. 11
The Health
and Social Wellbeing Survey 2001 found that in Northern Ireland, men were almost twice as likely
as women to drink above the recommended weekly guidelines (25% and 14% respectively). 16
A noteworthy pattern of consumption in the UK is the high level of heavy drinking and binge
drinking among men and women in the 16 to 24 and 25 to 44 age groups. In 2006, 42 per cent
of British men and 39 per cent of British women exceeding recommended daily guidelines on at
least one day in the previous week were aged 16 to 24, while the corresponding figures for the
25 to 44 age group were 48 per cent and 40 per cent respectively (see Figure 3). 11
A similar
pattern was found for the proportion of British men and women who drank heavily on at least
one day during the previous week (see Figure 4). 11
In Northern Ireland, men aged 16 to 24 were
almost three times as likely to drink above recommended guidelines compared to those aged 65 to
74, while women aged 16 to 24 were five times as likely compared to those aged 65 to 74. 16
In Scotland, 62 per cent of men and 56 per cent of women who consumed more than the
recommended daily amount on their heaviest drinking day were in the 16 to 24 age group. 12
Thirty-one per cent of Scottish men and 23 per cent of Scottish women drinking in excess of
weekly recommended guidelines were found to be in the 16 to 24 age group. 12
Approximately
10 per cent of drinkers aged 16 to 24 were found to consume alcohol at these levels in Northern
Ireland compared to 3 per cent aged over 25. 16
“”
It is not infrequent to find patients with fatty liver in their 30s and 40s, and when
asked about previous alcohol consumption often describe heavy or binge drinking
when a student in their 20s.
BMA member
Alcohol misuse: tackling the UK epidemic 15