2.5m Britons bust weekly drink limit in just one day

BRITAIN’S binge- drinking culture shows no signs of stopping, official figures reveal.

About 2.5 million Britons drink their weekly limit of alcohol in a single day, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Almost one in 10 people downs more than six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine in one session, with younger age groups most likely to binge drink.

High earners are also among those found to guzzle down more than doctors recommend.

New NHS drinking guidelines published earlier this year said men and women should stick to 14 units of alcohol per week.

Booze- free

Medical experts have said there is no safe level of regular drinking and explained people should have several booze- free days a week but not “save up” their weekly total for a binge.

Sarah Toule, of the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “It is very concerning that millions are exceeding their weekly drinking limit in just one day.

“Drinking alcohol increases the risk of a number of different cancers. In fact, 24,000 cancer cases could be avoided every year in the UK if everyone stopped drinking alcohol.

“When it comes to cancer prevention, people should avoid alcohol as much as possible as any amount increases the risk of cancer.

“If they are going to drink, it’s important not to binge drink.”

Dr Niall Campbell, of The Priory addictions hospital, said: “Unfortunately people are equating alcohol with reward, and having a good time is still synonymous for many with getting drunk. We see people who consume alcohol in bars and pubs as if they were visiting Starbucks for a coffee. In younger people we see them drinking alcohol like water, just to rehydrate.

“Binge- drinking has considerable effects on physical health and relationships and leads to risky sexual behaviour, the consequences of which can be considerable.”

The Office for National Statistics survey, carried out in 2014 and published yesterday, showed that 58 per cent – about 29 million people – drank some alcohol in a week. The proportion is down from 64 per cent in 2005. The study found one in six 16 to 24- year- olds downed more than 14 units in a day, falling to one in 10 for 25 to 44- year- olds.

Wales had the highest number drinking their weekly limit in a single session with 14 per cent, followed by Scotland on 13 per cent.

Of all those who had drunk alcohol in a week, 45 per cent consumed more than 4.67 units – a third of the new weekly guideline – on their heaviest drinking day. The highest percentages who had drunk alcohol in the previous week were found in the affluent South- east and the South- west, both with 62 per cent.

The survey also showed a clear link between binge drinking and higher wages. Nearly one in five of those earning £ 40,000 or more a year drinks at least five days a week, more than twice as many as those on £ 10,000.

The proportion of high earners who binge drink was found to be almost one in four, compared with one in eight of people on the lowest salaries.

Affluent