Am I drinking more than everyone else? Use our tool to find out
Around half of UK adults drink at least once a week, and that figure rises to 60 per cent among adults aged 65 to 74, with numbers falling in the younger age brackets (18-24) as they swap boozy sessions for nights in the gym.
Yet across the generations, many of those who are still keen on a drink are consuming even more alcohol than ever before. And the consequences of this are dire: in 2022, there were over 10,000 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK – the highest number on record.
Naturally, it's hard to keep track of how much alcohol you're consuming – and, of course, we might shy away from totting up the number of units we drink each week. Yet the more alcohol you regularly drink, the more likely you are to face serious health problems.
With this tool, you can find out exactly how much you're drinking, how it compares to others your age and gender – and if you're drinking more than them.
The health risks of drinking alcohol are well established – from liver disease and heart problems, to cancer and mental health issues. The more alcohol you regularly drink, the more harmful it is – and the more likely you are to face these very serious consequences. For this reason, UK guidelines state it is safest for men and women to drink no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days. This is equivalent to six pints of beer or six 175ml glasses of wine.
Women who drink more than 14 but less than 35 units per week, and men that drink more than 14 but less than 50 units per week, are classified as 'hazardous drinkers'. Those who exceed these limits are harmful drinkers.
'There's a sense that if you drink over 14 units a week, you're immediately in massive trouble but, of course, there's a big difference between drinking 15 or 50 units,' says Dr Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK. 'It's important to note that this is a sliding scale – so essentially the less you drink, the better it is for your health.'
Even though 1-14 units of alcohol a week has been classified as 'low risk', 'it's still not safe or healthy,' Dr Piper clarifies. In fact, whilst those who drink at higher, harmful levels experience more direct harm, a significant portion of alcohol-related harm – such as injuries, violence and drinking-driving incidents – comes from individuals who drink within lower-risk or moderate drinking guidelines.
We often hear of Gen Z being the 'sober generation'. A Drinkaware study found that one in four members of Gen Z, those aged 18 to 24, is completely teetotal. However, Dr Piper says there's still a significant amount in this bracket who are drinking a harmful amount. In 2022, adults aged 16 to 24 were the most likely to drink to harmful levels or possibly be dependent on alcohol, highlighting these vast disparities. Meanwhile, men aged 65-74 top the charts for most units of alcohol drunk per week with an average of 11.9.
Dr Piper says that an increase in harmful consumption is 'the biggest trend' in the UK and is being fuelled by 'a complete mix of people across different ages and genders' – from Gen Z to those in midlife and beyond.
Between the genders, in 2022, there were fewer male non-drinkers (16 per cent) than female (22 per cent). Plus, more men than women drink at least once – and also more than 14 units – per week.
Do you binge drink… and who does the most?
The NHS defines binge drinking as 'drinking heavily over a short space of time' and it can be extremely dangerous. For men, it involves drinking more than eight units of alcohol in a single session, or more than six units in a single session for women. Regular binge drinking increases your risk of accidents and falls, heart problems, serious mental health issues and alcohol poisoning.
In 2022, 19 per cent of men reported binge drinking in the last week compared to 15 per cent of women. Whilst adults aged 55 to 64 were the most likely to binge drink, those aged 75+ were least likely. Worryingly, the proportion of adults who admitted to binge drinking remained fairly stable between 2011 and 2022 at 17 per cent.
Are you at risk of alcohol dependence?
Alcohol dependence, otherwise known as alcoholism, describes the most serious form of high-risk drinking. Someone with alcohol dependence may feel like they're not able to function or survive without alcohol and will often need to drink more over time to feel the same effect. They'll continue to drink despite knowing the harmful consequences and may prioritise alcohol over their family, friends and career.
The World Health Organisation developed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as a screening tool for dependency. Dr Piper explains: 'It's for people in the highest groups who may have an alcohol dependency or are drinking a harmful or hazardous amount of alcohol.'
Women who drink more than 35 units and men who drink more than 50 units per week are classified as harmful, but not dependent, drinkers. 'These people will experience weekly harms from alcohol, whether that's hangovers, elevated blood pressure, anxiety, depression or relationship issues,' Dr Piper explains.
There is no clear line between harmful and dependent drinking, so dependence can vary in severity. In the AUDIT test, a total score between 0 and 40 is calculated. A score of 20 or above signifies 'possible alcohol dependence', whilst a score of 16-19 suggests 'higher risk drinking behaviour', a score between 8-15 suggests 'increasing risk drinking behaviour', and a score of 0-7 signifies 'low risk drinking behaviour'.
Despite the growth in non-drinkers in the 16-24 age group, young people are at greater risk of alcohol dependence, according to AUDIT test results.
As Alcohol Change UK highlights, it's not just about how much you drink, it's about why you drink, and your relationship with alcohol. Young adults may be relying on alcohol to cope, with one study showing that Gen Z is more likely to report drinking to 'escape' which carries higher long-term risk. Young adults are also suffering from more mental health problems than previous generations, increasing their vulnerability to using alcohol as self-medication.
Whilst young men (aged 16-24) drink the lowest average amount of units per week (4.8), 20 per cent of them are at risk of, or have a possible alcohol dependence, whilst just 10 per cent of men aged 65+ fall into this category.
Among women, the same is true. 20 per cent of young women are drinking harmfully or are possibly dependent on alcohol, while this figure drops to just 3 per cent among those aged 65+. A sobering thought.
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