British Drinkers 'In Denial'

Despite being among the heaviest drinkers in Europe, British boozers claim to be fairly unconcerned about the long-term damage they are inflicting on their bodies.

YouGov surveyed 4,640 Britons on behalf of Legal & General and discovered that just 12 per cent were concerned about the effect that excessive alcohol-consumption has on their health.

The reality is that alcohol-related deaths have almost doubled within the last 15 years, but adults in Britain claim to be more concerned about the impact of a lack of exercise and sleep as well as stress levels.

Young people are the heaviest drinkers in the UK and it is a trend that appears to be worsening. Almost a third of all men between the ages of 16 and 24 admit to excessive drinking while a quarter of women in the same age group do the same.

More than a quarter of all full-time students say that they are in fact concerned about the effect that binge drinking is having, which compares to just 12 per cent nationally.

Legal & General's Chris Rolland said: "The record levels of alcohol-related illnesses being reported in British hospitals and the low level of concern of drinking too much expressed by our research findings would suggest that there is a gap in Brits' understanding of the effect drinking too much can have on our health.

"Particularly at this time of year, a greater awareness of the recommended guidelines on sensible drinking - and the health implications if these limits are exceeded - may help bridge the gap," he added.

Separate research recently highlighted the potential link between heavy drinking and mouth cancer, while the Department of Health has admitted to being "concerned" about the rise in the number of alcohol-related deaths in the UK.

Moderate drinking, by contrast, has been linked to memory enhancement, after researchers at Ohio State University found evidence that alcohol can protect against Alzheimer's.

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