Boozy over-65s drink more than Facebook generation

YOU may think Britain’s big drinkers are those twenty-somethings drunkenly stumbling through the streets for a night on the town.

But these days the younger generation actually drink much less than their grandparents.

Indeed, older people were the only age group to increase their alcohol consumption over the past decade, figures show.

In an Office for National Statistics survey, 55 per cent of over-65s said they had at least one alcoholic drink in the previous week – making them regular drinkers.

But in the ‘Facebook generation’ of 16- to 24-year-olds, that figure was less than half.

The report on drinking habits from 2005 to last year said that, at the beginning of the period, six in ten young people were regular drinkers. But by last year this had fallen to just over four in ten.

And rates of heavy drinking plunged even quicker – in 2005, one in 14 young people said they had drunk alcohol on five days of the past week. By last year, that had dropped to just one in 50.

Last year, about 57 per cent of those over 16 said they had taken a drink in the last seven days, making regular drinking at its lowest level since 2005. This equates to 29million regular drinkers in Britain. The ONS said there were now just under five million heavy drinkers, and 10.6million said they never touched alcohol.

The drop in drinking among the young matches the fall in smoking and drug use, while teen pregnancy rates have halved since 2007. It has led to speculation the changes are down to social media, as many youngsters now spend time alone on screens rather than socialising in person.

But the persistence of the alcohol habit in over-65s brought a warning over their health.

Dr Tony Rao, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said it could lead to mental health problems.

‘It is very concerning that while the rest of the population reduces its alcohol intake, baby-boomers are increasing their weekly drinking – and exceeding recommended guidelines,’ he said.