Britons underestimate how much they drink by an average of a bottle of wine a week, experts have warned
Britons underestimate how much they drink by an average of a bottle of wine a week, experts have warned.
In total the equivalent of 44 million more bottles of wine are sold in pubs, supermarkets and off licenses than drinkers will admit to consuming, researchers at Liverpool John Moores University found.
The team compared the amount that adults and teenagers believe they drink with official figures on alcohol sales.
‘When asked to think about their drinking, people often ignore occasional heavier drinking sessions, holidays, weddings and other celebrations like Christmas parties,' warns Prof Mark Bellis who led the research carried out for the Office for National Statistics.
Bellis found that the more alcohol consumed the harder it is to accurately estimate.
The research casts doubt on the reliability of official surveys of alcohol consumption that are used to inform everything from public health campaigns to licensing laws.
Official figures show that alcohol-related hospital admissions are approaching a million a year, a rise of 47 per cent in the last five years.
Experts have blamed the rise on 24-hour drinking, stronger alcohol and larger glass sizes.
The latest research estimates that the average British drinker consumes the equivalent of 26 units a week.
Ministers recommend limiting intake to just 14 units a week for women and 21 for men.
So just how many units do you think you drink each week? Please leave your comments below.
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