While the British are often perceived as a nation of binge drinkers, new research from the UK’s University of Sheffield challenges this stereotype, after finding that almost half of British drinkers consume alcohol at home in moderate amounts. Share on Pinterest Almost half of British adults drink moderately at home, new research finds. However, the study – published in the journal Addiction – shows that heavy drinking is still common in Britain, with around 10% of adults engaging in heavy drinking at home or at a bar. The findings come from an analysis of the drinking habits of more than 60,000 British adults. Study leader Dr. John Holmes, a senior research fellow at the University of Sheffield’s Alcohol Research Group, and colleagues conducted the study with the aim of gaining a better understanding of British drinking culture. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year, more than 3.3 million deaths worldwide occur as a result of harmful alcohol use, and it is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and injuries. “If we want to address problems associated with drinking, we need to recognize the diversity of how we drink and understand the crucial role that cultures and contexts play in that,” says Dr. Holmes.

Drinking habits analyzed over a 1-week period To reach their findings, Dr. Holmes and colleagues analyzed 2009-2011 data of 60,215 adults aged 18 and older who were part of Kantar Worldpanel’s Alcovision study – an ongoing monthly online diary survey. As part of the study, participants were required to keep a diary of their alcohol use habits over a 1-week period. Subjects were required to keep track of how much alcohol they consumed, as well as when, where and why they were drinking and who they were drinking with. For this study, light drinking was defined as fewer than 6 units per week for women and 8 for men; moderate drinking was defined as 6-12 units for women and 8-16 units for men; heavy drinking was defined as more than 12 units for women and more than 16 units for men. One unit was defined as around 8 g or 10 ml of pure alcohol. As an example, there is around 1 unit in a shot of spirits, while a 175 ml medium-strength glass of wine contains around 2 units.