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Alcohol
Alcohol is the most widely used recreational drug in the UK. Its legal status means that much higher quality data is available about its usage and price compared to other drugs. Unlike illegal drugs, most people in the UK regularly consume alcohol. This widespread familiarity can act as useful reference point when discussing the problems caused by other illegal drugs. Alcohol also provides an example of the problems that can still occur within legally regulated markets. Units and sensible drinking guidelinesOne unit is the equivalent of 8mg (10ml) of pure alcohol and is often described as being the equivalent to one glass of wine, half a pint of beer or one shot of spirit. This is based on half a pint (284ml) of beer at 3.5% abv, one glass (125ml) of wine at 9% abv or one shot (25ml) of 40% abv sprit. In practice most alcoholic drinks are significantly more than one unit. The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) estimated the average strength of beer in 2003/04 at 4.19% abv and the average strength for table wine at 11.85% abv.[1] In addition to this, the standard pub measurement for wine is 175 ml for a small glass and 250 ml for a large glass. Many pubs and bars also sell spirits in 35 ml shots. The IAS also notes that the average strength of wine and beer has increased during the last ten years. The UK government's advice for sensible drinking is not to regularly exceed more than 3-4 units per day for men and 2-3 units per day for women. They define binge drinking as consuming over 8 units a day for men and over 6 units a day for women.[2] UK consumptionOver 90% of the adult population drink alcohol.[3] There are two main ways of measuring how much alcohol is consumed: asking people how much alcohol they drink or counting how much alcohol is sold. Social surveys, such as the National Statistics' (ONS) General Household Survey (GHS), which ask respondents about their drinking patterns, usually produce figures far low than would be expected from alcohol sales. Alcohol sales are estimated based upon clearance data produced HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Not all alcohol that is cleared is actually consumed, eg some of it will be thrown away when it passes its best before date. Conversely not all alcohol that is consumed in the UK is cleared by HMRC, eg home-brew and illegally imported alcohol.
The large difference between the two sets of data is unlikely to be due to large amounts of purchased alcohol not being consumed. Both the General Household Survey and the Government's alcohol strategy[6] believe that many people under estimate the amount of alcohol they drink. Trends in alcohol consumption are further confused by the fact that two sources do not correlate. The GHS reports a fall in alcohol consumption between 1998 and 2005 while the amount of alcohol cleared for sale actually increased. As is often the case, average figures for the entire population mask significant differences between different groups within the population. For example, according to the GHS in 2005:
UK price trendsIn 2005 the total UK household expenditure on alcohol was £41.9 billion. This figure excludes legitimate cross-border shopping, which is included in tourist expenditure, but includes estimates of the value of smuggled alcohol.[7] Between 1980 and 2005 the price of alcohol increased by 350%. During the same period the retail price index (the standard statistic used to measure the changes in the costs of goods and services) increased by 287%. This means that alcohol costs more in 2005, relative to the price of other goods and services, than it did 1980. However between 1980 and 2005 the amount of disposable income people have has increased even faster than the price of alcohol. The net affect of this is that alcohol was 62% more affordable in 2005 that it was in 1980 . In other words, if someone were to spend the same proportion of their disposable income on alcohol in 2005 as they did in 1980, they would get 62% more drink for their money.
This increase in affordability correlates with an increase in the amount of alcohol cleared for consumption by HMRC:
Annual cost of alcohol misuse in the UKThe Prime Minster's Strategy published an Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England in 2004. It calculated that the cost of alcohol-related harms in England is up to £20.1bn per annum.
The report claimed that alcohol is responsible for up to 70% of all admissions to accident and emergency departments at peak times and that there are over 30,000 hospital admissions for alcohol dependence syndrome. It also said that half of all violent crime and a third of all domestic violence in England was alcohol related. It estimated that up to 17m working days are lost each year through alcohol-related absence and that marriages where there are alcohol problems are twice as likely to end in divorce . For information about the number of alchol related dealth in the UK see the Fact research guide section on drug related deaths. References
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