Jump to content
✨ STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE WORLD TOUR ✨

Middle class professionals drinking more than the working classes as alcohol-related deaths double i


mc_squared

Recommended Posts

Middle class professionals drinking more than the working classes as alcohol-related deaths double in 20 years

 

 

By Carol Driver and Anny Shaw

Last updated at 4:23 PM on 28th January 2010

 

 

Middle class professionals knowingly drink more than people in working class jobs, official figures reveal today.

People in managerial positions drink 13.8 units on average every week compared to 10.6 units by those in manual jobs, the Office for National Statistics found.

 

They were also more likely to have drunk alcohol on five or more days in the previous week than those in manual households.

The figures came as it is revealed that the number of people dying from alcohol has more than doubled since the early 1990s.

 

 

article-1246748-011AEE55000004B0-626_468x303.jpg Middle class professionals are drinking more units a week than the working classes, according to new figures (photo posed by models)

 

Men are twice as likely to die from alcohol as women, and the male death rate has soared from 9.1 per 100,000 people in 1991 to 18.7 per 100,000 in 2008.

Separate statistics showed that alcohol was a factor in almost 42,000 cases of children under 18 being admitted to English hospitals in the last three years.

 

More...

 

 

 

Charity Drinkaware said the figures were 'shocking', while the Conservatives said they demonstrated Labour's 'complete failure' to tackle binge-drinking.

Rates of alcohol-related deaths in the UK have doubled from 6.7 per 100,000 people in 1992 to 13.6 per 100,000 in 2008, according to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report.

Between 2007 and 2008 alone, the number of people who died from alcohol abuse increased 3.5 per cent.

Other data on drinking habits released today suggested that pensioners and the middle classes were more likely to consume alcohol.

 

article-1246748-08102325000005DC-797_468x417.jpg A chart showing a breakdown the types of drink chosen by men

 

One in five men and one in seven women aged 65 and over drink every day, compared with only 1 per cent of those aged 16 to 24.

Overall, 39 per cent of men and 31 per cent of women exceed the daily sensible drinking limit of three to four units a day for men and two to three units for women.

Asked where they drank on their most recent or heaviest drinking day, most people said they drank at home (46 per cent of men and 57 per cent of women).

When it comes to buying alcohol, people are most likely to have bought it in supermarkets in the last year (72 per cent), followed by bars (68 per cent) and restaurants (62 per cent).

Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, which is funded by the alcohol industry, said: 'It's shocking to discover that alcohol-related deaths are again on the increase, and it's vital now, more than ever, that we act to reduce the harms caused by drinking too much.

 

article-1246748-08102325000005DC-123_468x468.jpg A chart showing a breakdown the types of drink chosen by women

 

'With more and more people dying from alcohol misuse it's essential we change people's relationship with drinking, and education has a key role to play.'

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: 'These worrying figures are a sad indictment of our broken society and demonstrate Labour's complete failure to tackle binge-drinking.

'Labour's irresponsible decision to roll out 24-hour drinking on our towns and communities while at the same time failing to deal with the problems caused by over-drinking has caused great harm, particularly amongst younger people.'

A Department of Health spokesman said: 'We are going to be looking closely at the increase in the number of alcohol-related deaths at a time when the amount people are drinking is reducing.

'No one thing will solve the complex challenge of alcohol abuse, which is why the Government is taking action on all fronts including better information, banning irresponsible promotions (such as women drinking for free) and treatment, advice and support.'

 

Enlarge article-1246748-08102210000005DC-287_468x301.jpg Who drinks alone on their heaviest drinking day of the week

 

The statistics came as the Government launched a new advertising campaign on the dangers of consuming too much alcohol.

It shows the damage caused to internal organs by drinking more than recommended limits.

A poll to mark the launch found 55 per cent of drinkers in England mistakenly think alcohol only damages health if people regularly get drunk or binge drink.

Although 86 per cent of drinkers surveyed knew that drinking alcohol was related to liver disease, fewer realised it was linked to breast cancer (7 per cent), throat cancer (25 per cent), mouth cancer (28 per cent), stroke (37 per cent) and heart disease (56 per cent).

Chief medical officer for England, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, said: 'Over a quarter of the population regularly drink above the Government's recommended daily limits, with over two and half million adults regularly drinking above the higher-risk levels, putting their health at risk of serious diseases and conditions.

 

article-1246748-0356B0DC0000044D-186_468x305.jpg Dangers: 31 per cent of women exceed the daily sensible drinking limit

 

'It is important people realise the harm they, unknowingly, can cause to their health by regularly drinking more than the recommended daily limits.'

In contrast to the drinking figures, smoking was found to be twice as common in households classified as routine and manual (29 per cent of adults smoked cigarettes) as it is in managerial and professional households (14 per cent of adults).

Heavy drinking (exceeding eight units for men and six for women) was most common in the 16-24 and 25-44 age groups (27 and 23 per cent respectively). However, adults aged 45 and over were more than twice as likely to drink on every day of the week before interview than those aged under 45.

Other facts revealed by the report were:

 

• The percentage of people who had bought alcohol from an off-licence during the previous year dropped from 37 per cent in 1998 to 27 per cent in 2009.

 

• More people had bought alcohol in a restaurant during the year – up from 57 per cent in 1998 to 62 per cent in 2009.

 

• There was an increase from 25 per cent in 2008 to 29 per cent in 2009 in the percentage of people who had bought alcohol from a supermarket in the week prior to the survey.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246748/35-children-admitted-hospital-DAY-alcohol-related-illness.html#ixzz0dvdd4EBf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What are these unit measurements they keep talking about grah!

 

Here we have simple solution: 4 standard drinks for women and for men. It says on the can/bottle the standard drink measurement. You can keep track! Nobody gets confused! Do you not have this over there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What are these unit measurements they keep talking about grah!

 

Here we have simple solution: 4 standard drinks for women and for men. It says on the can/bottle the standard drink measurement. You can keep track! Nobody gets confused! Do you not have this over there!

 

Wouldn't work, because the binge-drinkers would totally ignore it anyway.:dozey:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...