Weather Tonight: 4°c Partly Cloudy Night Morning: 8°c Cloudy

News

Middle-classes are the biggest drinkers

Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor
22 Jan 2009


MIDDLE-CLASS drinkers were today blamed for fuelling Britain's alcohol crisis.

More than 40 per cent of high-earning executives are breaching official daily drinking guidelines.

New figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal that middle-class men and women are more dependent on alcohol than any other social class. They show a class divide with more people in high-earning jobs breaching safe limits than anyone else.

Government guidelines state men should drink no more than three to four units a day.

The limit for women is two to three units - the equivalent of one to two glasses of a medium strength wine.

But those earning £52,000 or more a year are more than twice as likely to exceed this amount than those on lower incomes. Nearly a third of high-earning men and women are drinking double the safe levels of alcohol on at least one day a week. The findings are based on two authoritative studies - the General Household Survey 2007 and Opinions 2008 - which are used to monitor alcohol trends. They do reveal, however, that adults are more aware of the risks associated with drinking.

More than nine out of 10 people know alcohol increases the risk of liver disease and accidents. But doctors say this does not seem to be affecting consumption. Overall more than a third of adults are breaching the official drinking benchmark.

People are also drinking more as they get older. One in five aged 45 and over drink five days a week. This compares with only six per cent of those aged 16 to 24.

The report reveals that people are drinking more heavily at home than in pubs and bars. Nearly two thirds of women are likely to consume alcohol at home compared with only 17 per cent in a pub or bar. The number of men drinking at home is 45 per cent compared with just over a third in a pub or bar.

Ministers have spent millions on awareness campaigns over safe drinking. The Royal College of Physicians has called on them to bring in compulsory labelling on drink so people can track their consumption.

The ONS figures also show smoking levels have now fallen to the lowest ever recorded. Only one in five Britons now smokes.

Reader views (5)

 Add your view

Kev, what about a working class drunk??? I don' think Middle class drink the most, maybe in public, but really in this climate a little drink to reduce the stress and worries is not a problem!

- John, London, 23/01/2009 10:25
Report abuse

How DARE they? If they've got that much money to chuck about they should, of course, hand it over in taxes to prop up the rest of the country!

- Roz, Chamonix, France, 23/01/2009 09:45
Report abuse

Ahah! - I see a conspiracy here.

Give the middle class a seriously hard time and drive them to drink. Keep pushing up the cigarette and alcohol taxes ---- and instant increase in funds for a tax and spend government!

OK - malicious rumour-mongering, I know. But it fits so well..... it COULD be true..... kinda sorta..... It's so - NuLab!

- Rogan, Irving, 23/01/2009 05:26
Report abuse

Surely the middle classes should be made to pay for there over indulgence?maybe tax them more to fund the health service thay will eventually need,make them pay for there treatment.I have made arrangements to have my organs removed to be used if i have accidental death the only restriction i have put on this is that my liver must not be transplanted into a middle class drinker unless thay donate 40000 to my family,or a homeless charity.

- Kev, London-UK, 22/01/2009 21:48
Report abuse

is it any wonder when we are busy getting it from all angles.

- Fly, london, 22/01/2009 15:47
Report abuse


Add your comment

 

Terms and conditions Make text area bigger You have  characters left.

We welcome your opinions. This is a public forum. Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.

For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.


 

 

  • MPs spend £400,000 of taxpayers' cash on 12 fig trees for their offices Fig Trees EXCLUSIVE: Taxpayers are footing a bill of almost £400,000 to rent 12 fig trees to shade MPs in the glass-roofed atrium of their...
  • 10 million Tube passengers fail to claim money back for delays Tube train More than 10 million Tube users are missing out on refunds worth more than £20 million when their trains are delayed
  • The final reckoning: how Boris and Ken measure up in election battle Ken Boris split London goes to the polls on May 3 with the election battle between Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone set to be the capital's closest mayoral...
  • Commuters' favourite swaps busking for the big time with recording deal Tristan Mackay Busker Tristan Mackay has hit the jackpot after landing a record deal with an award-winning producer
  • What a smoothie! Eight-year-old Valentine gives Kate roses and a heart-shaped cupcake Kate Smoothie The Duchess of Cambridge's first Valentine's Day as a married woman was marked with roses, a card and a cupcake - but not from Prince...
  • Kercher family launch appeal over decision to clear Knox of murder Meredith Kercher Meredith Kercher's family today launched an appeal to overturn the decision to clear Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of her murder
  • PM urged to deport Qatada as he hides in north London safe house Abu Qatada David Cameron was under pressure today to defy European judges by ordering the deportation of extremist cleric Abu Qatada as he holed up in...
  • Now jailed Dizaei could be forced to repay his £1million legal aid bill Ali Dizaei Met commander Ali Dizaei is facing the prospect of paying back tens of thousand of pounds of legal aid as Scotland Yard prepared to sack him...
  • Osborne defends his cuts strategy as inflation falls George Osborne Chancellor George Osborne defended his economic strategy as a fall in inflation finally brought mild relief to some from the tight squeeze...
  • Royal College students to receive scholarships courtesy of Burberry Rosie Huntington-Whitely At the luxury brand Burberry, Christopher Bailey has transformed a designer classic into must-have cool, as epitomised by the models Rosie...
  •  

    Don't Miss