Health

Biggest Drinkers Are Middle Class and Over 45

by Paul Conneally | December 17, 2008 at 05:32 am

247 views | 27 Recommendations | 4 comments

Our news media is full of stories about youing people drinking too much but the really big drinkers are the middle class over 45s. This group are most likely to drink 5 nights a week and at high levels.

10 million Britons are thought to be drinking at 'hazardous' levels.

Middle aged people who are on high incomes are the most likely to drink five or more nights a week, according to the statistics.

The findings add to growing concern over middle class drinkers and the damage their habits are doing to their bodies.

Earlier this year a report by the National Audit Office, the Government watchdog, warned that 10 million Britons were now drinking to "hazardous" levels.

A survey conducted by the NHS Information Centre shows that 30 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women in the highest earning bracket admitted that they had drunk alcohol five nights or more in the previous week, twice as much as in the lowest wage bracket.

The middle aged were also much more likely than young people or thirtysomethings to drink frequently.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Rachel Nixon

at 10:26 on December 17th, 2008

An interesting and timely reminder about the dangers of drinking, as the holiday season looms.

Amy Judd

at 10:45 on December 17th, 2008

5 nights a week! Where does the money come from for that?

158

at 11:36 on December 17th, 2008

Like most things drinking per se is not harmful but is dangerous when overdone or done while driving,.

John Josef (not verified)

at 14:06 on December 17th, 2008

5 nights a week? That's not really bad. I say if they are getting TRASHED more than 3 nights a week that is a heavy drinker.... I'm young and I like to drink, I don't think as I get old that will change, I will just more than likely become a bit more responsible with it. I like to hang out with people and get that buzz going where you can think, laugh at, and do things you normally wouldn't. I like that lifestyle, and although destructive to some, I don't really view it as a detriment to drink often, and rather a detriment to drink to the point of a killer hangover more than 1 time a week. Some people can physically drink more without being mentally affected as well, so the "tests" that standardize drinks are crap anyway.

Know your limits. That's all the advice I can give.