Alcohol intake miscalculated by 120m units a week

English drinkers are underestimating their alcohol consumption by 120 million units a week as bank holidays and special occasions are not factored into surveys about “typical drinking” habits.

English adults underestimate their alcohol intake by 120 million units a week

New research published online by the medical journal BMC Medicine showed questionnaires measuring typical drinking habits only account for approximately 60% of alcohol sold because many studies do not include drinking on birthdays, weddings, Christmas and other special occasions.

Teams at Bangor University, Cardiff University, Liverpool John Moores University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine carried out the study.

“The problem is that surveys usually ask about typical drinking,” said Dr Mark Bellis, lead scientist. “This means summer holidays, bank holidays, weddings and many other special occasions when consumption often increases are left out.

“As a result, nationally we underestimate how much we drink and as individuals we can turn a blind eye to our heavier drinking periods when we calculate personal consumption.

“For many people though, these sessions add substantial amounts of alcohol to their annual consumption and inevitably increase their risks of developing alcohol-related ill-health.”

The study involved phone interviews with 6,085 randomly selected members of the public aged 16 and over in England.

Participants were grilled on their normal drinking patterns and those on occasions outside their usual circumstances.

The majority of those questioned admitted their alcohol consumption increased during holidays or special occasions, with those aged 25-35-years-old showing the greatest increase consuming an extra 18 units on average per week.