Over an average British person’s lifetime, 5,800 pints of beer are consumed, plus 8,700 glasses of wine, 2,900 bottles of cider, 5,808 shots of spirits, 1,452 cocktails, 1,452 glasses of liquor, and 1,452 glasses of champagne – the equivalent of 456 drinks annually. The typical Brit also experiences 726 hangovers over a lifetime. £962 are spent annually on alcohol, or £58,201 ($93,000) by the time they die.
These figures were reported today by Benenden Healthcare.
Below are some highlighted statistics from the survey:
- The average Brit consumes alcohol at least three nights each week
- The average Brit downs nine alcoholic drinks each week
- 57% of British people drink at home
- 17% of Brits regularly go to a pub for a drink
- 40% of Brits think they need a drink to unwind.
- 1 in 6 adults in the UK say they have a drink in the evening out of habit, and the same number see it as a form of escapism
- 1 in every 10 Brits says he/she would find it hard to spend more than a week without a drink, while 1 in 10 would find two days difficult
- 1 in 5 Brits say they cannot enjoy a night out if they don’t have a drink
- 12% say their aim when drinking is to get drunk
- Over one third of Brits have blacked out while drinking and cannot remember how they got home
- Two thirds of UK adults say they consume more alcohol while on vacation, and have four or more drinks per day (while on vacation)
- The average Brit enjoyed his/her first drink at the age of 14 years
Lawrence Christensen, Head of Communications & Strategy at Benenden Healthcare, said:
“Day by day, we may not notice our drinking habits and may not think about what it’s costing us. But add it all up and the amounts become quite staggering.
Recommended guidelines for alcohol consumption are 3-4 units per day in men, equating to around a pint and a half of 4% strength beer, and 2-3 units in women – a single 175 ml glass of 13% strength wine for women. This means that by getting through 456 drinks a year on average, many Brits are sailing perilously close to the wind and, in many cases, most likely exceeding guidelines.
The yearly financial cost of this level of consumption also gives pause for thought, with £962 a year being no small sum for many families in the UK.
Benenden Healthcare wishes to draw attention to these levels of alcohol consumption, which not only pose a medical risk but a lifestyle risk in terms of financial cost. With 726 hangovers and being £58,201 out-of-pocket, ‘enjoying a drink’ regularly takes on a new dimension.”
Andrew Meredith, Medical Director at Benenden Hospital, said:
“This survey highlights the dysfunctional relationship many of us have with alcohol. The results can be seen in our town centres every week-end, in A&E departments where alcohol related conditions and injuries are a large part of the workload and the increasing numbers of admissions with alcohol related liver disease.”
