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Key facts for journalists

About alcohol

How much is too much?

The Government’s recommended daily unit guidelines are up to 2-3 units for a woman and up to 3-4 units for a man.

What is a unit?
One unit is equivalent to 8g of alcohol. That’s about what you get in half a pint of (4%) beer, or in a single measure (25ml) of spirits (40%). A whole pint of (5%) beer or cider contains three units. Two small glasses of wine are another three units. In a recent YouGov survey, 77 per cent of people didn’t know how many units are in a glass of wine. (1)

What is binge drinking?
Binge drinking has been defined as drinking double the daily recommended unit guidelines. (2)

What happens to my body when I drink alcohol?
Alcohol is absorbed into the body through the stomach and small intestine. It’s then quickly distributed via the bloodstream throughout the body, reaching the heart, brain, muscles and other tissues. The body can’t store alcohol so it gets rid of it via the liver. The liver changes alcohol into the highly toxic substance acetaldehyde which is then turned into the harmless acetate and excreted through urine, breath and sweat.

What are the long-term harms caused by alcohol misuse?

Alcohol misuse can be directly related to deaths from certain types of diseases, such as cirrhosis of the liver, and in some cases, it may be associated with other causes of death, such as stroke. The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England estimates that up to 22,000 premature deaths per year are associated in some way with alcohol misuse. (3)

For further information on how alcohol misuse can seriously harm your health, click here

How can I drink responsibly?
Check out Drinkaware’s unit calculator to see how many units you had yesterday. If you overdid it, give yourself a 48 hour break from alcohol.

Alcohol dehydrates you. Drink lots of water to rehydrate your skin and alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones.

Eat before a big night out or enjoy a drink with a meal or snack. It’ll stop the alcohol going straight to your head and will help you feel better in the morning.

For more hints and tips click here

About Drinkaware

What is Drinkaware?
Drinkaware is an independent UK charity that aims to change public behaviour and the national drinking culture. By providing people with practical advice and information Drinkaware aims to reduce alcohol misuse and minimise alcohol-related harm.

Drinkaware fulfils a challenge set by Government in the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for an industry-supported fund to provide education, information and campaigning activity for consumers.

Drinkaware was established following a Memorandum of Understanding signed by UK ministers and the Portman Group. This enabled the Portman Group’s former campaigning arm – called the Drinkaware Trust – to be transformed into the new independent charity. Drinkaware is consumer-facing, while the Portman Group now focuses on industry regulation.

Who governs Drinkaware?
We are a registered charity governed by a Board of Trustees comprising of both Health professionals and Industry. The Board’s role is to ensure Governance, maintain independence and deliver the charities strategic objectives.

Who funds Drinkaware?
We are supported by voluntary donations from across the alcohol drinks industry, including producers, pub companies and retailers. The aim is to secure an annual budget of at least £5 million from as broad a base of support as possible.

What is Drinkaware.co.uk?
Drinkaware.co.uk is the UK’s leading online alcohol information portal. It features an interactive unit calculator that can accurately assess unit intake per session, a drinks diary, and numerous useful hints and tips. No matter your age, situation or stage of life, drinkaware.co.uk can provide you with all the information you need to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly.            

Key statistics

In England in 2006, 72% of men and 57% of women reported drinking an alcoholic drink on at least one day in the week. 12% of men and 7% of women reported drinking on every day in the previous week.

40% of men and 33% of women had drunk more than the daily recommended number of units on at least one day in the week. 23 % and 15% of women had drunk more than twice the recommended daily intake.

Older people were more likely to drink regularly – 28% of men and 16% of women aged 65 and over drank on five or more days of the week compared to 9% of men and 3% of women aged 16 to 24.

Among men, 31% reported drinking on average more than 21 units in a week. For women, 20% reported drinking more than 14 units in an average week.

In Great Britain in 2007, 69% of people reported that they had heard of the government guidelines on alcohol consumption. Of these people, 40% said that they did not know what the recommendations were.

In 2006, 21% of pupils in England aged 11 to 15 reported drinking alcohol in the week prior to interview, continuing the recent decreasing trend since 2001.

In 2006, in England, there were 6,517 deaths directly linked to alcohol, of which two thirds were men. This has increased by 19% since 2001 when there were 5,476 deaths.

In 2006/07, there were 57,142 NHS hospital admissions in England with a primary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol. This number has risen by 52% since 1995/96.

All figures taken from NHS Information Centre, Statistics on Alcohol: England 2008

References

1 Commissioned by the Government’s ‘Know Your Limits Campaign’ in May 2008

2 NHS Information Centre, Statistics on Alcohol: England 2008

3 Prime Minister's Strategy Unit (2004). Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England