Am I drinking more than everyone else? Use our tool to find out
Around half of UK adults drink at least once a week, and that figure rises to 60 per cent among adults aged 65 to 74, with numbers falling in the younger age brackets (18-24) as they swap boozy sessions for nights in the gym.
Yet across the generations, many of those who are still keen on a drink are consuming even more alcohol than ever before. And the consequences of this are dire: in 2022, there were over 10,000 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK – the highest number on record.
Naturally, it's hard to keep track of how much alcohol you're consuming – and, of course, we might shy away from totting up the number of units we drink each week. Yet the more alcohol you regularly drink, the more likely you are to face serious health problems.
With this tool, you can find out exactly how much you're drinking, how it compares to others your age and gender – and if you're drinking more than them.
The health risks of drinking alcohol are well established – from liver disease and heart problems, to cancer and mental health issues. The more alcohol you regularly drink, the more harmful it is – and the more likely you are to face these very serious consequences. For this reason, UK guidelines state it is safest for men and women to drink no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days. This is equivalent to six pints of beer or six 175ml glasses of wine.
Women who drink more than 14 but less than 35 units per week, and men that drink more than 14 but less than 50 units per week, are classified as 'hazardous drinkers'. Those who exceed these limits are harmful drinkers.
'There's a sense that if you drink over 14 units a week, you're immediately in massive trouble but, of course, there's a big difference between drinking 15 or 50 units,' says Dr Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK. 'It's important to note that this is a sliding scale – so essentially the less you drink, the better it is for your health.'
Even though 1-14 units of alcohol a week has been classified as 'low risk', 'it's still not safe or healthy,' Dr Piper clarifies. In fact, whilst those who drink at higher, harmful levels experience more direct harm, a significant portion of alcohol-related harm – such as injuries, violence and drinking-driving incidents – comes from individuals who drink within lower-risk or moderate drinking guidelines.
We often hear of Gen Z being the 'sober generation'. A Drinkaware study found that one in four members of Gen Z, those aged 18 to 24, is completely teetotal. However, Dr Piper says there's still a significant amount in this bracket who are drinking a harmful amount. In 2022, adults aged 16 to 24 were the most likely to drink to harmful levels or possibly be dependent on alcohol, highlighting these vast disparities. Meanwhile, men aged 65-74 top the charts for most units of alcohol drunk per week with an average of 11.9.
Dr Piper says that an increase in harmful consumption is 'the biggest trend' in the UK and is being fuelled by 'a complete mix of people across different ages and genders' – from Gen Z to those in midlife and beyond.
Between the genders, in 2022, there were fewer male non-drinkers (16 per cent) than female (22 per cent). Plus, more men than women drink at least once – and also more than 14 units – per week.
Do you binge drink… and who does the most?
The NHS defines binge drinking as 'drinking heavily over a short space of time' and it can be extremely dangerous. For men, it involves drinking more than eight units of alcohol in a single session, or more than six units in a single session for women. Regular binge drinking increases your risk of accidents and falls, heart problems, serious mental health issues and alcohol poisoning.
In 2022, 19 per cent of men reported binge drinking in the last week compared to 15 per cent of women. Whilst adults aged 55 to 64 were the most likely to binge drink, those aged 75+ were least likely. Worryingly, the proportion of adults who admitted to binge drinking remained fairly stable between 2011 and 2022 at 17 per cent.
Are you at risk of alcohol dependence?
Alcohol dependence, otherwise known as alcoholism, describes the most serious form of high-risk drinking. Someone with alcohol dependence may feel like they're not able to function or survive without alcohol and will often need to drink more over time to feel the same effect. They'll continue to drink despite knowing the harmful consequences and may prioritise alcohol over their family, friends and career.
The World Health Organisation developed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as a screening tool for dependency. Dr Piper explains: 'It's for people in the highest groups who may have an alcohol dependency or are drinking a harmful or hazardous amount of alcohol.'
Women who drink more than 35 units and men who drink more than 50 units per week are classified as harmful, but not dependent, drinkers. 'These people will experience weekly harms from alcohol, whether that's hangovers, elevated blood pressure, anxiety, depression or relationship issues,' Dr Piper explains.
There is no clear line between harmful and dependent drinking, so dependence can vary in severity. In the AUDIT test, a total score between 0 and 40 is calculated. A score of 20 or above signifies 'possible alcohol dependence', whilst a score of 16-19 suggests 'higher risk drinking behaviour', a score between 8-15 suggests 'increasing risk drinking behaviour', and a score of 0-7 signifies 'low risk drinking behaviour'.
Despite the growth in non-drinkers in the 16-24 age group, young people are at greater risk of alcohol dependence, according to AUDIT test results.
As Alcohol Change UK highlights, it's not just about how much you drink, it's about why you drink, and your relationship with alcohol. Young adults may be relying on alcohol to cope, with one study showing that Gen Z is more likely to report drinking to 'escape' which carries higher long-term risk. Young adults are also suffering from more mental health problems than previous generations, increasing their vulnerability to using alcohol as self-medication.
Whilst young men (aged 16-24) drink the lowest average amount of units per week (4.8), 20 per cent of them are at risk of, or have a possible alcohol dependence, whilst just 10 per cent of men aged 65+ fall into this category.
Among women, the same is true. 20 per cent of young women are drinking harmfully or are possibly dependent on alcohol, while this figure drops to just 3 per cent among those aged 65+. A sobering thought.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Frustration as people may miss out on weight loss jab because of where they live
Thousands of obese patients in England are unable to access the weight loss jab Mounjaro due to a ' postcode lottery ' within the NHS. Despite an agreement for Mounjaro to be available from 23 June, only 8 out of 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are currently providing the treatment. Doctors have warned that patients are being 'set up for failure' as NHS England has reportedly funded treatment for only a fraction of the 97,500 patients NICE calculated should be treated. NHS England stated it has 'fully supported the rollout' by issuing guidance and providing funding to ICBs in March. NICE has issued new guidance stressing the importance of structured follow-up support for NHS patients after stopping treatment to prevent weight regain, a provision not extended to private users.
The Guardian
8 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Verbally abused children more likely to have poor mental health as adults, study finds
Parents who ridicule, threaten or humiliate their children risk leaving them with a 64% higher chance of having poor mental health as an adult, a study has found. The research also found physical abuse experienced among the research participants reduced over time, while verbal abuse increased. Published in BMJ Open, the study gathered data of 20,687 adults from seven studies published between 2012 and 2024. The studies used all involved questions on childhood physical and verbal abuse using the validated Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) tool and the Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale to measure individual and combined components of adult mental wellbeing. Participants were asked over a two-week period about their mental wellbeing, with responses given a score to determine whether the participant had a low or high sense of mental wellbeing. While physical abuse was associated with a 52% increase in the likelihood of a person experiencing low mental wellbeing as an adult, verbal abuse was linked to a slightly higher likelihood at 64%, according to analysis of the results. The analysis also found that, even when physical abuse was part of a person's childhood experiences, participants who also experienced verbal abuse faced additional risks. The prevalence of low mental wellbeing for those who had experienced no abuse stood at 16%, rising to 22.5% for physical abuse, 24% for verbal abuse, and 29% for both physical and verbal abuse. Furthermore, the prevalence of physical abuse halved from about 20% among those born between 1950 and 1979 to 10% among participants born in or after 2000. However, for verbal abuse, the prevalence increased from 12% among those born before 1950 to about 20% among those born in 2000 or later. These findings add to previous research that found experiencing childhood verbal abuse was linked to a higher risk of self-harm, drug use, and ending up in jail. 'Our study reveals that degrading, humiliating and abusive language directed at children can have long-term mental health impacts at least as severe as those associated with physical abuse,' said Prof Mark Bellis of Liverpool John Moores University, the study's lead author. 'Equally concerning is the trend observed over the study period where physical abuse declined but verbal abuse increased … potentially offsetting the mental health gains we might expect from reduced exposure to physical harm.' The authors of the study acknowledged its limitations, namely that they were unable to measure the severity of either type of abuse, or the reasons for these trends in changing prevalence for physical and verbal abuse. 'Although this study does not examine the reasons for these trends, it is vital that we do not simply replace one form of childhood trauma with another,' Bellis added. 'That's why we must go beyond telling parents what not to do, and instead offer clear, practical support and guidance that allows them to raise their children through healthy, nurturing relationships.' The analysis also found that participants born in 2000 or later had a higher likelihood of overall low mental wellbeing, while men were more likely to report never or rarely feeling optimistic, useful, or close to people, while women were more likely to report never or rarely feeling relaxed. Jessica Bondy, founder of Words Matter, a charity with the aim of ending childhood verbal abuse, said the study confirmed that 'words can wound deeply and have a lasting impact on a child's mental health and development'. She added: 'Any gains made in reducing physical abuse risk being undone by rising rates of verbal abuse. We must act now to confront the lasting harm caused by cruel, critical or controlling language. We need to build children up – not knock them down. The mental health of the next generation and our shared future depend on it.'
Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Do You Have ADHD?: 'Do you fidget and get distracted by noise? Maybe you've got ADHD too'
Nobody wants to be schizophrenic these days. Why would they? It's a horrible mental illness, one commonly treated with anti-psychotic drugs. Believe it or not, it was frightfully fashionable in the 1960s. Dinner party guests clamoured to tell each other, 'Well, I don't know, I suppose I must be a little bit schizo!' Quack psychiatrists made their names diagnosing actors and pop stars with the condition. The leading light was Scottish doctor and bestselling writer R.D. Laing, who treated Sean Connery by dosing him with LSD. These days, the most talked about diagnosis is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD]. Not a day passes without a celebrity or online influencer declaring proudly that they have ADHD — with the unspoken implication that this excuses all their failings and confirms what they've always felt... that they are special. Follow the guidelines laid down in Do You Have ADHD?, and we can all be special. It's easy. Before the first ad break, presenter Dr Karan Rajan urged us to download a questionnaire from the World Health Organisation [WHO], designed to identify key traits. The questions have been set by three American professors at Harvard and the New York University medical schools, and given an impressive title: the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist. Naturally, I paused the show and filled in the quiz immediately. This, I feel, proves impressively how limited my own attention span is. Do I fidget, asked the WHO? Do I forget appointments? Do I make careless mistakes when engaged on boring tasks? Do I get distracted by noise around me? Yes, all of the above. Now I can apply to join the eight-year NHS waiting list for an ADHD diagnosis, or take a shortcut and go private. Of course I'll go private! If I had the patience to wait eight years, I wouldn't have ADHD, would I? And, fortunately, there are lots of clinics willing to take my money, in exchange for an assessment. Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, the widow of much-loved Daily Mail writer Michael Mosley, took the test, partly because she suspected her late husband had ADHD himself. In her case, the outcome seemed eminently sensible: she exhibited some of the typical traits but could not be said to have ADHD because her daily life wasn't impaired. Clearly, the same applied to Michael. No doubt, he had a butterfly mind and needed a deadline if he was to get a job finished, but that's what made him a successful journalist. The rest of this documentary was mostly shallow and trivial. Asked what indicators he looks for in children with ADHD, Professor Stephen Scott of King's College London said, 'First of all, if you just watch them in the school playground, are they running around more than other kids?' 'Running around' is now a childhood medical condition. Nurse!
