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Alcohol across society

On this page

  • Facts and stats
  • Briefings
  • Reports
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

The resources on this webpage provide information about alcohol’s impact on different demographic groups.

Alcohol is the second most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the UK (after caffeine) and is highly prevalent in personal and social situations. Nearly 30 million adult Brits say they drink alcohol, an indication of alcohol’s ubiquity and presence in so many areas of British society today.

Brits’ drinking habits have evolved over time in various ways, and have in turn affected the health of different social groups.

For example, since the year 2000, the gap between men and women’s alcohol consumption has closed markedly, the proportion of underage drinkers (defined here as those who purchase alcohol for consumption before they reach the minimum legal purchase age of 18) has receded, young drinkers’ intake (adults between 16 and 24 years of age) has become less frequent (but no less heavy), and survey data appear to show alcohol-related health issues mounting among a generation of older-aged Brits (those between 45 and 64 years of age), who appear to be relatively heavier drinkers than previous generations.

Facts and stats

The phenomenon where as the level of socioeconomic deprivation increases, so does alcohol-specific mortality, despite such groups consuming less alcohol


What is the alcohol harm paradox? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

  • Lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to experience high frequency alcohol-related anti-social behaviour; around half of those from the lowest socioeconomic groups who ever experienced this in the last year experienced it every week or more often (IAS, 2020)
  • 1 in 10 people experience alcohol-related antisocial behaviour every year. (ONS, 2019)
  • Incidence rates for alcohol-related domestic violence among the most disadvantaged groups were up to 14 times higher compared with the least disadvantaged (IAS, 2020)
  • 1 in 5 people in England had been harmed by others drinking alcohol over a single year. (Beynon, C. et al, 2019)
  • In England, approximately 200,000 children are predicted to live with an alcohol dependent parent. (Pryce, R. et al. 2017)
  • These children are six times more likely to experience domestic violence, three times more likely to consider suicide, and two or three times more likely to go on to have addiction problems themselves. (Nacoa, 2023)
  • People who experience homelessness have an increased risk of problem drug and alcohol use and are at increased risk of a range of acute and chronic harms including poisoning, seizures, liver disease, cancers, assault and injuries, putting them at high risk of premature death. (Parkes et al. 2021)
  • Alcohol-specific causes accounted for almost one in 10 (9.6%) of estimated deaths of homeless people registered in 2021. (ONS, 2022)
  • 9% of people starting treatment for alcohol in 2021/22 reported a housing problem. (OHID, 2023)

Briefings

Autumn Budget Analysis 2024

November 2024

The costs of alcohol to society

October 2024

Alcohol and Economic Crises

April 2024

Cannabis liberalisation: Lessons for alcohol policy

October 2023

Alcohol through the life course: Older drinkers

Alcohol through the life course: Young drinkers

Alcohol through the life course: Underage drinkers

Ethnic minorities and alcohol

Alcohol and health inequalities

Men and alcohol

Women and alcohol

Alcohol and the family

Alcohol in the workplace

LGBTQ+ People and Alcohol

July 2021

Reports

Spending Review submission 2025

January 2025

IAS Autumn Budget Submission 2024

October 2024

IAS response to consultation on Major Conditions Strategy

June 2023

People, Planet, or Profit: alcohol’s impact on a sustainable future

November 2022

IAS response to consultation on the Redesign of the Crime Survey for England and Wales

August 2022

The COVID Hangover: summary report

July 2022

The COVID Hangover: addressing long-term health impacts of changes in alcohol consumption during the pandemic

July 2022

IAS Annual Report 2021/22

May 2022

October 2021 Budget Analysis

December 2021

IAS response to consultation on revised WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan

August 2021

IAS response to Call for Evidence on Women’s Health Strategy

June 2021

March 2021 Budget Analysis

April 2021

IAS response to DCMS Review of the Gambling Act 2005

March 2021

Exploring men’s alcohol consumption in the context of becoming a father: A scoping review

February 2021

IAS response to Early years healthy development review: call for evidence

October 2020

Men and alcohol: Key issues

September 2020

Inequalities in victimisation: alcohol, violence, and anti-social behaviour

May 2020

A rapid narrative review of literature on gendered alcohol marketing and its effects: exploring the targeting and representation of women

October 2019

Financial headache: the cost of workplace hangovers and intoxication to the UK economy

June 2019

Families First: An evidence-based approach to protecting UK families from alcohol-related harm

July 2018

Women and alcohol: Key issues

March 2018

IAS response to Night Time Commission Consultation Submission

February 2018

Like sugar for adults: The effect of non-dependent parental drinking on children and families

October 2017

Splitting the bill: Alcohol’s impact on the economy

February 2017

Youthful abandon: Why are young people drinking less?

July 2016

Alcohol purchase age limits in Europe

September 2014

Labour and the politics of alcohol: The decline of a cause

September 2014

IAS response to House of Lords inquiry into the EU Alcohol Strategy

September 2014

IAS response to NICE Workplace consultation

July 2013

IAS response to Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry on alcohol guidelines

September 2011

IAS response to European Action Plan 2012-2020: Implementing regional and global alcohol strategies

April 2011

IAS response to Briefing from the Mayor of London: Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill – Amendment to the Bill: New Clause – Alcohol Monitoring Requirement

January 2011

IAS response to Department for Children, Schools and Families consultation on children, young people and alcohol

April 2009

Insurance, solving some alcohol problems and causing others

June 2007

Youth, alcohol, and the emergence of the post-modern alcohol order

January 2000 (2nd ed. September 2007)

Blogs

12295Closing the gap between academic research and service delivery: the addictions research and practice SIG

Closing the gap between academic research and service delivery: the addictions research and practice SIG

Dr Darren Quelch and Dr Nyle Davies

6th May 2025

12278Are teenage alcohol-related harms matching declines in consumption?

Are teenage alcohol-related harms matching declines in consumption?

Emma Vieira

22nd April 2025

12274France’s drinking dilemma: Why young adults buck the global trend

France’s drinking dilemma: Why young adults buck the global trend

Dr Julia de Ternay

16th April 2025

12149Despite what many parents think, allowing teenagers to try alcohol at any age is harmful

Despite what many parents think, allowing teenagers to try alcohol at any age is harmful

Bernard Pereda and Nathaniel Perdue

8th April 2025

12139Policies that single out pregnant people’s drinking aren’t working, but there are other policies that appear to help

Policies that single out pregnant people’s drinking aren’t working, but there are other policies that appear to help

Professor Sarah CM Roberts

3rd April 2025

12143Gone but not forgotten: Why was the Northern Territory’s Minimum Unit Price removed?

Gone but not forgotten: Why was the Northern Territory’s Minimum Unit Price removed?

Dr Nic Taylor and Dr Cassandra Wright

1st April 2025

12128An alcohol policy community of practice: A model for knowledge-sharing and collaboration

An alcohol policy community of practice: A model for knowledge-sharing and collaboration

Amanda Farrell-Low and Elizabeth Farkouh

27th March 2025

12154How could the US-EU alcohol tariff war affect alcohol consumption and harm?

How could the US-EU alcohol tariff war affect alcohol consumption and harm?

Dr Norman Giesbrecht and Professor Tim Stockwell

25th March 2025

Podcasts

Alcohol’s hidden climate impact

In our latest podcast, Dr Megan Cook of La Trobe University discusses alcohol’s overlooked environmental impact. Dr Cook explores how […]

Dr Megan Cook – La Trobe University

April 2025

How to shift the dial on alcohol policy in Europe

On this month’s podcast we spoke to Florence Berteletti and Anamaria Suciu, who work for the European Alcohol Policy Alliance, […]

Florence Berteletti – Eurocare
Anamaria Suciu – Eurocare

March 2025

Bottling Up Trouble: alcohol, workplaces, and the need for change

On this month’s podcast we spoke to Tabbin Almond, alcohol-freedom coach and author of the recent book: ‘Bottling Up Trouble: […]

Tabbin Almond – Alcohol-freedom coach and author

February 2025

The power of community in recovery: exploring Alcoholics Anonymous

In this episode, we dive into the history, structure, and impact of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Our guests, Tim, a long-standing […]

Tim – AA trustee
Dr Kieran Moriarty – AA trustee

January 2025

Videos

The Impact of Alcohol on our Healthcare Services: Explained

February 2025

Alcohol marketing to Sexual and Gender Minorities

May 2023

The COVID Hangover: long-term health impacts of changes in alcohol consumption during the pandemic

July 2022

Alcohol & Human Rights

March 2022

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