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Four out of 10 Britons are trying to drink less

Four out of ten Britons are cutting back on their drinking, with even more young people making an effort to drink less than a year ago, a 2017 Harris poll shows.

The study reveals that Britons now tend to prefer quality drinks to a larger quantity of beer or lager and that many of them would rather drink at home than go out to a pub.

Out of all the responders included in the poll, 41 percent said they have cut down on their drinking since last year.

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The percentage was highest among Britons aged 35-44, 51 percent saying they are trying to drink less than a year ago.

Figures were also high in the 25-34 age group, with 51 percent saying they are making an effort to drink less.

A similar poll in 2016 showed that only 33 percent of Britons were trying to drink less.

According to the poll, men are trying harder to cut back on their drinking – 48 percent of them said they are drinking less compared to 2016, while 33 percent of women did the same.

”It seems media messages around ill health linked to excessive alcohol consumption are cutting through”, said Lucia Juliano, head of research at Harris.

According to the poll, 26 percent of Britons now drink more at home than when they go out, while just 13 percent started to drink more when going out.

When it comes to hard drinking – going above recommended weekly alcohol limits – older Britons are boozier than the young one.

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19 percent of Britons in the 45-54 age group admit they drink too much, while 16 percent of people over 55 say the same.

”Maybe stereotypes of young people binge drinking at the weekend need to be swapped with images of the over-45s regularly downing bottles of wine at home,” Lucia Juliano says.

The poll showed that, even if Britons say they are drinking less, they are spending more on alcohol, because of their growing preference for more expensive beverages, such as craft beers and premium spirits.

The rate of cutting down on drinking by age groups

  • 16-24: 47 percent say they are cutting down; 8 percent say they are drinking too much.
  • 25-34: 55 percent say they are cutting down; 14 percent say they are drinking too much.
  • 35-44: 51 percent say they are cutting down; 10 percent say they are drinking too much.
  • 45-54: 40 percent say they are cutting down; 19 per cent drinking too much.
  • 55 and over: 29 percent say they are cutting down; 16 percent say they are drinking too much.

Daniel Pruitt

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