One in three Brits drinks at home alone with 15% regularly polishing off a bottle of wine to themselves, according to an exclusive poll for The Grocer.
That means many are regularly knocking back around 10 units of alcohol in one sitting, instead of the recommended daily maximum of two to three units for women, or three to four for men.
This is part of our Alcohol Report 2014 .
Despite this, only 14% confess to drinking in excess, suggesting the government’s advice on alcohol has failed to get through to some consumers.
| Do you drink wine at home? | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ | |
| No | 31% | 40% | 23% | 39% | 31% | 33% | 32% | 28% |
| I often share a bottle of with others | 45% | 36% | 54% | 35% | 39% | 42% | 41% | 55% |
| I often share more than one bottle with others | 13% | 14% | 13% | 14% | 17% | 14% | 15% | 10% |
| I often drink a bottle to myself | 15% | 14% | 16% | 12% | 20% | 15% | 19% | 12% |
| I often drink more than one bottle to myself | 4% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 2% | 2% |
On top of the damage it’s doubtless doing to the nation’s livers, it’s not likely to be helping Britain’s obesity problem. A bottle of wine can be the equivalent of consuming 700 calories in one go; about the same as scoffing two pain au chocolates.
“Of the 14% that admit to drinking in excess, this is much higher amongst men (18%) and for those aged 45 to 54 years its 17%,” says Lucia Juliano, head of consumer & retail research at Harris Interactive, which polled 2,015 consumers for The Grocer. “It is also highest in London at 20% - twice the level of the South West at 8%.”
| Do you stick to the government’s advised daily alcohol limit? | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ | |
| I don’t drink | 24% | 21% | 27% | 30% | 25% | 22% | 21% | 23% |
| I usually drink less than what is advised | 41% | 37% | 45% | 35% | 38% | 41% | 42% | 44% |
| I usually drink about what is advised | 21% | 24% | 19% | 24% | 20% | 23% | 20% | 21% |
| I usually exceed what is advised most days | 11% | 15% | 7% | 7% | 13% | 12% | 14% | 9% |
| I usually exceed what is advised every day | 3% | 3% | 2% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% |
Seventy per cent of Brits drink alcohol at home, the majority of those in company, but 34% say they do so alone. “This is more of a male trait than a female one – especially in Yorkshire and the North East,” says Juliano.
| Do you drink alcohol at home? | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ | |
| I drink alcohol at home with others | 56% | 54% | 59% | 50% | 59% | 57% | 60% | 55% |
| I drink alcohol at home on my own | 34% | 43% | 26% | 20% | 37% | 42% | 36% | 32% |
| No | 30% | 29% | 32% | 42% | 28% | 25% | 28% | 32% |
This is part of our Alcohol Report 2014 .
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Harris Interactive UK is a full service, consultative custom market research agency working internationally out of offices in the UK and Europe. With in-house expertise covering all areas of research design, implementation, analysis and reporting, it has particular strengths in loyalty and brand. For more information, please visit the Harris Interactive UK website.
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