Are Brits changing their views on alcohol?

No more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across three days or more, according to the NHS. Ultimately, however, there isn’t a wholly safe level of drinking. But staying within the NHS recommendations lowers your risk of hurting your health ^{Footnote [2]}.

The thing is – do you know what a unit means or looks like? With so many different types of alcoholic drinks, coming in every shape and size bottle, it’s tricky to keep track. 

“One unit,” says the NHS, “equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour. This means that within an hour there should be, in theory, little or no alcohol left in the blood of an adult, although this will vary from person to person.”^{Footnote [3]}

But since the number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink, as well as its alcohol strength, it’s easy to lose track.

35% of those who drink alcohol agree that “a lot of people don’t realise how many units of alcohol are in their drinks” and 31% believe that “a lot of people don’t know the number of units of alcohol the NHS recommends.”^{Footnote [1]}

What’s a unit of alcohol?

Just over one in five (21%) of those who drink knew that 14 units is the maximum recommended amount to drink per week with 62% thinking it's a lower amount (13 units or less) and nearly one in five (17%) thinking it's a higher amount (15 units or more) ^{Footnote [1]}.

It may be useful to think of units like this ^{Footnote [3]}:

• 1 unit = single small shot of spirits (25ml, ABV 40%)
• 1.5 units = alcopop (275ml, ABV 5.5%)
• 1.5 units = small glass of red/white/rosé wine (125ml, ABV 12%)
• 1.7 units = bottle of lager/beer/cider (330ml, ABV 5%)
• 2 units = pint of lower-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%)
• 2.1 units = standard glass of red/white/rosé wine (175ml, ABV 12%)
• 2.4 units = can of lager/beer/cider (440ml, ABV 5.5%)
• 3 units = pint of higher-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 5.2%)
• 3 units = large glass of red/white/rosé wine (250ml, ABV 12%)

And if crunching numbers isn’t your ideal when having a tipple, then check out our alcohol units calculator.

More than half (56%) of Brits who drink believe they have 1-10 units per week ^{Footnote [1]}. And while fewer than half of men (49%) think they have 1-10 units per week, 64% of women believe they average this amount per week ^{Footnote [1]}.

More than two out of five Brits who drink (43%) say they feel relaxed while drinking, but one in ten (10%) regret drinking alcohol the next day ^{Footnote [1]}. But, based on our survey, the five main reasons for drinking alcohol are ^{Footnote [1]}:

1. to relax (39%)
2. to be social (35%)
3. to treat themselves (32%)
4. to enjoy it (29%)
5. to celebrate life events (27%)

For Brits who drink, it seems the top five places to enjoy them are ^{Footnote [1]}:

1. at a pub (46%)
2. on holiday (44%)
3. at celebrations (birthdays, weddings) (40%)
4. at restaurants (39%)
5. at a bar (35%)

In addition to feeling better in the morning (we’ve been there), drinking less alcohol could mean having ^{Footnote [2]}:

• better looking skin
• more energy
• help with weight management
• better mood, memory, and quality of sleep
• lower cholesterol levels
• lower risk of
  o stroke
  o hypertension
  o cancer
  o liver disease

If you’re exploring how to cut down on alcohol, check out the NHS’ Better Health initiative with eight tips on how to get moving.

Of those Brits who don’t drink alcohol, their top five reasons (neck and neck) include ^{Footnote [1]}:

• feeling healthier being sober (26%)
• feeling happier being sober (24%)
• not liking the taste of alcohol (23%)
• wanting to be healthy as they grow older (23%)
• not liking how people behave when drunk (22%)

With nearly three-fifths (59%) of non-drinkers believing that those around them are supportive and accommodating, this may suggest that attitudes around drinking are shifting. Particularly as half (50%) of our non-drinking respondents say they “never” feel judged for their decision and “everyone is really supportive.” ^{Footnote [1]} More than half of the people surveyed who don't drink say it has been longer than a year since they last drank alcohol (52%) ^{Footnote [1]}.

And with nearly two-fifths (39%) admitting they are “very open with the fact” that they don’t drink alcohol, only 16% believe that there’s stigma attached to not drinking alcohol.

If you’re thinking about cutting down on drinking or becoming sober, remember to get medical advice if you have physical withdrawal symptoms (like shaking, sweating, or feeling anxious until you have your first drink of the day). Without proper help, it can be dangerous to stop drinking too quickly. Check out your local alcohol support services for more information.