Half of middle-aged drinkers have never tried to cut back
‘Baby boomers in denial over alcohol’
FEWER than half of middle-aged drinkers have tried to cut down on alcohol to boost their health, research shows.
The vast majority of 40 to 64year- olds admit they should drink less, but only 49 per cent have attempted to do so.
A YouGov survey questioned 3,000 middle-aged drinkers on what strategies they would consider using to cut their intake.
It found 30 per cent said they would be willing to try smaller drinks, while 29 per cent said they would drink a lower strength alcoholic beverage.
Twenty-seven per cent said they would be willing to record how much they were drinking and around 19 per cent said they would be open to drinking nonalcoholic substitutes.
Meanwhile, 86 per cent said they would take drink-free days and 20 per cent said they would be willing to avoid always having alcohol at home.
One in three middle-aged drinkers consume between six and eight units in one sitting on at least a monthly basis, according to the charity Drinkaware, which commissioned the survey.
The Government advises against consuming more than 14 units in one week.
Drinkaware is launching its Drink Free Days campaign this week, which aims to encourage middle-aged people to take at least three days off drinking each week. Elaine Hindal, the group’s chief executive, said: ‘If you drink regularly, one of the most simple and effective ways to improve your health and wellbeing is to have several drink-free days each week.
‘My advice to incorporate more drink-free days into your week is to plan ahead. Think about the situations that usually involve alcohol and plan what you will do instead of drinking.
‘Whatever you try, the key is for drink-free days to become part of your routine.’
Experts have warned that the ‘baby boomer’ generation is in denial over alcohol, with dementia, cancer and liver disease on the rise as a result.
The study follows research showing that the middle-aged have replaced the young as the nation’s problem drinkers.
Public Health England found that 37,000 patients aged 50 and over received alcohol treatment in 2017/18, compared with 33,600 under-35s.
In 2005/06 – the first year in which the figures were recorded – 10,000 over-50s and 26,000 under35s were treated.
However, while younger people have begun turning away from alcohol, the number of Britons aged over 65 who are being treated for alcohol abuse has soared by nearly five-fold in little more than a decade. e.hayward@dailymail.co.uk