British women are coming under increasing pressure to drink after being ‘targeted relentlessly’ by alcohol companies, cheap supermarket deals and boozy brunches, experts have warned.
Hospitality workers and alcohol awareness charities are calling on the Government to create tighter marketing restrictions and for minimum unit pricing to be introduced in England to prevent avoidable alcohol-related health conditions.
It comes after a damning report revealed British women were the biggest binge drinkers in the developed world, with one in four admitting they binge drink at least once a month. Some 26 per cent found themselves consuming six or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion, the survey revealed.
Experts said more are turning to drink as they work increasingly long hours in high-pressured jobs, with the rise in women’s financial independence over the decades contributing.
Others have slammed the ‘intentional marketing campaign by the alcohol industry’ to ‘pink up’ drinks as part of a ‘relentless’ campaign to target women.
MailOnline has spoken to women in London, Edinburgh, Newcastle and north Wales about their drinking habits. Many said they wind down with alcohol because it helps them destress after a long day, gives them confidence meeting new people in social situations, and relax amid the pressures of raising families while maintaining careers.
But European women enjoy a ‘very different drinking’ culture to their British counterparts – with some from other countries slamming the habit as ‘unattractive’ and ‘classless’.
Magda Galecka, a media worker from Warsaw, told MailOnline: ‘People think that us Eastern Europeans drink a lot, but now we know who the real culprits are – British women.’
Victoria Voight, a social media manager in Warsaw, claimed her parents were planning to send her to a boarding school in England but chose not to because of ‘British women and their drinking habits’.
Here, women in bars across the country – and the continent – give MailOnline their thoughts on the report and compare their drinking habits – with very different verdicts.
Paola Mosquera, from Brighton, said she feels more sociable when she drinks as it helps her meet new people
Elayne Tate, (pictured) 63, from Newcastle said: ‘I work in the NHS and it’s a fairly stressful job so I do like to come home and have a glass of wine at the end of the day.’
Nearly one in five adults reported binge drinking at least once a month, on average across 29 OECD countries in 2019. The figure varies 10-fold, from less than 3 per cent in Turkey to more than 30 per cent in Germany, Luxembourg, the UK and Denmark
NHS worker Sheelagh Leonard (pictured), 70, said she she feels people drank more in the pandemic as there was ‘nothing else to do’
Yvonne Bennett (pictured), an academic author from Glasgow now living in Sevenoaks, Kent, said ‘more women are binge drinking now’
According to the British Medical Journal, the larger 250ml wine glass started to be introduced in the 90s – encouraging drinkers to consume a larger intake of wine.
According to a 2016 study by the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge, selling wine in larger wine glasses encouraged people to drink more, even when the amount of wine remains the same.
Workers in the pub and bar industry blamed promotions at shops and supermarkets for encouraging women to drink more at home, where drinking can’t be monitored. They also hit out at cocktail happy hours and cheap deals.
European women who spoke to MailOnline said their drinking habits were quite different from the British, with one describing it as ‘unattractive’ and ‘classless’.
Women in Poland said British females were without doubt the ‘real culprits’ when it comes to boozing, while those in Italy and France told how binge drinking was less common and people prefer an occasional glass of wine with food in their countries.
Paola Mosquera, 30, a massage therapist from Brighton, said: ‘I drink when I go out because it gives me more confidence.
‘I feel more sociable and it helps me meet new people. I think this is a common thing to do in England especially, it’s just the culture here.
‘When women are raising families, have a career and are doing chores at home, it can be very stressful.
‘I know for me, sometimes when it has been very busy, all I want to do is go home and have a bubble bath with a glass of red wine. I think a lot of women would agree.
‘It’s not good to have a drinking problem but I think it’s okay if women just want to have a drink to relax, and if it is in moderation.’
Elayne Tate, 63, from Newcastle said: ‘I work in the NHS and it’s a fairly stressful job so I do like to come home and have a glass of wine at the end of the day.
‘I’ll sometimes have a glass while cooking and I drink socially with friends. I can drink a bottle of wine and be fine.
Leah Bromberg, 38, an oil painting artist originally from Virginia in the United States but now living in London, and her friend Amanda Thomason, 28, said drinking is more common in the UK than abroad
One in four British women admitted admitted they get hammered at least once a month according to a reporter by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
‘Drinking in the UK is quite social. We work in an environment where alcohol can play a part in the patients we see. There’s a difference between a binge drinker and a habitual drinker.
‘The UK is different to Europe. I believe we drink more, it’s a cultural thing. People also have a lot of stress or believe they have a lot of stress here which may cause them to drink.’
NHS worker Sheelagh Leonard, 70, said she drinks on a weekend socially with friends or when seeing bands.
She said she feels people drank more in the pandemic as there was ‘nothing else to do’.
‘You would see people in supermarkets with 200 toilet rolls and 200 bottles of booze,’ Sheelagh, from Newcastle, said.
‘A lot of things seem to be doom and gloom these days whether it’s smoking or drinking so you may as well.’
Jim Dury, 26, a bar worker from Sunderland, said he thinks women are more regular drinkers at his bar. He said men drink more but less often.
Nick Newman, 63, chair of the Cardiff Licensees Forum and manager of the Blue Bell pub in Cardiff, said ‘big retailers are in part responsible for the uptake in drinking with women in particular’.
Women are pictured ordering drinks at Borough Market in London. A new report found British women are the biggest binge drinkers in the developed world
Jenny Atkinson, 21, deputy manager of The Bonnington in Leith, Edinburgh, said a lot of drinking happens because women are stressed
Lou Aussignac, 18, from France, described her drinking habits as ‘quite British’
Jim Dury (pictured), 26, a bar worker from Sunderland, said he thinks women are more regular drinkers at his bar
He told MailOnline: ‘Licensed premises are a controlled place and we watch out for people to make sure no one is getting too drunk.
‘We hear an awful lot about people pre-loading. They go down to the supermarket, fill up their cars and go back to their flats to get tanked up.
‘Within licenced premises we are very highly regulated in terms of what promotions we can offer.’
Dawn Hopkins, who runs and owns the Rose Inn in Norwich, echoed the view that the uptake in binge drinking is down to the availability of drink at shops.
She said: ‘Problems come from deals in supermarkets and people preloading at home.
‘In houses there are no controls, there is nobody to step in if it gets out of hand.’
While an increase in drinking has been blamed on cheap deals and cocktail happy hours, the landlady added that women are coming under pressure with the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Ms Hopkins added: ‘There’s a lot of pressure on people at moment, people will turn to drink when times are like this but in my experience it is not happening in a pub environment.’
Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, told MailOnline the availability of alcohol in the UK is a driving force behind British women’s issue with alcohol.
He said: ‘In the UK, we have far fewer controls than most other countries – you can buy alcohol 24 hours a day, you can buy it from petrol stations and local stores, marketing controls are notoriously weak especially online, and in England supermarkets are allowed to display alcohol on every single aisle.
‘Women have also been targeted relentlessly by alcohol companies over recent decades, encouraging them to drink more and more. As a result, alcohol-related health problems among women are becoming more common.’
Female drinkers across the country have said they are ‘not surprised’ at the statistics, adding that women are drinking more because of pressures of work, as well as caring for children.
Michelle Pattison, 47, a carer from Newcastle, was not surprised to hear the findings that British women are the biggest binge drinkers.
‘I would drink quite a bit. I would have alcohol before I left the house and drink more when I was out.
‘Women may drink more because they often take on full time jobs as well as caring for children and the household. They have a lot of added stress.’
Michelle Pattison, 47, a carer from Newcastle, has given her thoughts about the drinking habits of British women
Bar worker Ashley Hayes (pictured), 38, from Edinburgh, said that her old-fashioned pub Robbie’s gets more women now than they did in the past
The mother-of-two added that the drinks women are more likely to choose is also having an impact.
‘Women are also more likely to drink wine and spirits which has more units. It’s also considered more acceptable to drink glasses of wine at lunch,’ she said.
‘People also drink fruity cocktails which taste like juice so you don’t realise you’re drinking that much. It’s also very easy to finish a bottle of wine.’
At the CookHouse Pub in Newcastle, near the railway station, bar manager Becky Day, 31, said young women ‘like to have a good time’.
She said: ‘Quite a lot of them have shots. They are tiny and it’s one after the other. They don’t realise how much they’ve had to drink until they go outside and hit fresh air.’
Jenny Atkinson, Deputy Manager from Edinburgh at Bonnington Pub said women she serves tend to consume a lot of alcohol in a short space of time.
‘Sadly, a lot of drinking does happen because people are stressed. It’s gets them to unwind a little bit.
‘The average person doesn’t binge drink and you don’t see a lot of women as often but when they’re there, there’s definitely a lot more consumption of alcohol.’
Bar worker Ashley Hayes, 38, from Edinburgh, said that her old-fashioned pub Robbie’s gets more women now than they did in the past.
‘Looking at the men and women in here, the women are more likely to be binge drinkers,’ she said.
‘The women are likely to come in less often but are more likely to drink more. Guys will come in and have maybe one or two pints and then go home for dinner but women are coming in at weekends.’
Yvonne Bennett, an academic author from Glasgow now living in Sevenoaks, Kent, agreed that more women are binge drinking now.
The 60-year-old said: ‘I think it’s common for women to have a drink to destress and relax. For me, going out for a drink gives me a sense of community. I tend to drink at weekends and sometimes on Sundays with a lunch.’
Leah Bromberg, 38, an oil painting artist originally from Virginia in the United States but now living in London told how it’s more common to go out for a drink in the UK for lunch or dinner with friends than in the US.
At the CookHouse Pub in Newcastle, near the railway station, bar manager Becky Day (pictured), 31, said young women ‘like to have a good time’.
Experts said more women are turning to drink as a way to relax after stressful days at work
Ms Bromberg, who was buying an Aperol Spritz slushie in Borough Market with friend Amanda Thomason, 28, added: ‘People tend to have wine or a beer here. I think that’s because in the United States you have to drive long distances to get back home – we don’t have a tube like in London!
‘I’m not a mum, personally, but I know some friends that are. They are really on it and super busy with the day to day, so it does not leave them much time to relax.
‘But when they do get a chance, having a drink really is a way to unwind for a lot of women.’
Ian Hamilton, an addiction expert at the University of York, said British women’s binge drinking was down to multitude of factors.
But he said one of the biggest was an intentional marketing campaign by the alcohol industry.
‘Sometimes this is overt by ‘pinking up’ drinks and suggesting it is normal to turn to drink to relax,’ he said.
‘It can also be more subtle by using product placement in images and videos via social media platforms.’
Mr Hamilton said that while historically, British men had drunk far more alcohol than women, that gap had now shrunk, in part due to what he claimed was an intentional campaign by drink brands.
Ms Day said women at the CookHouse (pictured) ‘don’t realise how much they’ve had to drink until they go outside and hit fresh air’.
‘It’s been a clear strategy on the industry’s part to grow their business like that, they’re not daft,’ he said.
‘If they can see 10 or 20 years ago women were drinking less than men than that was an opportunity as far as they’re concerned.’
While Mr Hamilton said an increase in the size of wine glasses over time had played a part, this was had been combined with women misinterpreting NHS guidelines on drinking alcohol.
The health service states both men and women shouldn’t drink more than 14 units a week, with single small glass of wine (125ml) equivalent to 1.5 of those.
But Mr Hamilton said women were interpreting this as any glass of wine being 1.5 units, regardless of if their glass was filled to 150ml, 200ml or more.
He added most would be shocked how much they were drinking if they actually got a measuring jug out.
‘We know that women consume larger amounts at home as they pour more generous measures.’
Kara Fitzpatrick, 30, from the US, told MailOnline: ‘I think it could help to not advertise as much because it’s glamorous. They’re always advertising the drinking.’
Leah Bromberg (left), who was buying an Aperol Spritz slushie in Borough Market with friend Amanda Thomason (right) said having a drink really is a way to unwind for a lot of women
Another reason for women drinking more was the daily stress of their lives, with Mr Hamilton saying the Covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis could be driving more women to the bottle.
‘There is little doubt about the rise in mental health problems and the role the covid pandemic had in increasing risky drinking behaviour,’ he said.
He said sadly that alcohol is both cheaper, and particularly for women, more accessible than therapy.
‘Unlike mental health services alcohol has no waiting lists, intrusive assessments and can be accessed seven days a week twenty four hours a day,’ he said.
‘The needs of women accessing treatment need to be considered, for example many women will be the primary caregivers for their children so ensuring child care is available and that clinics are female friendly is crucial.’
Mr Hamilton urged people, both men and women, to check the actual ml of alcohol they were consuming rather than judging it by glasses and pints.
Meanwhile Dr Melissa Oldman, senior research fellow at University College London’s tobacco and alcohol research group, agreed stress was a factor in British women’s alcohol consumption, with the pandemic having a sustained effect.
‘We did see increases and higher risk drinking throughout the pandemic after the first lockdown, and this has been maintained since, with rates of heavier drinking not returning to pre-pandemic levels,’ she said.
‘This was likely due in part to stress, boredom and change of routines during the first and subsequent lockdowns.’
However, she added the pandemic had only exacerbated an existing rise in women’s drinking levels.
Dr Oldman said this was due in part to an increased rise of alcohol advertising aimed at women.
‘This has led to concepts such as ‘wine o’clock’ which are more widely used amongst female drinkers than males,’ she said.
But she added another factor behind the rise in female drinking could actually be an ‘unintended consequence’ of gender equality.
‘More women are in full-time work now and studies have shown that women in employment are more likely to drink than women who don’t,’ she said.
Vanessa Hebditch, director of policy and communications at the British Liver Trust added: ‘As alcohol has become increasingly accessible and affordable and more engrained as part of our culture, many women have found themselves turning to alcohol as a means of relaxation, stress relief, or social connection.’
The OECD measured alcohol consumption per country through sales data, with people consuming 8.6 litres in 2021, on average. However, intake varied from more than 12 litres in Latvia and Lithuania to fewer than five litres in Turkey, Costa Rica, Israel and Columbia. The UK drank 10 litres, and the US 9.5 litres
‘This has been driven by an interplay of various factors, including cultural shifts and marketing campaigns which have blurred the lines between relaxation, socialising and the allure of alcohol.’
Dr Piper added: ‘Research consistently shows us that the more alcohol we consume, the more harm we suffer – not just those of us who drink, but also our children, partners, parents – our entire communities and our whole society.
‘Millions of people attend hospital every year with alcohol-related conditions. And our police and courts spend a huge proportion of their time dealing with alcohol-related crimes.
‘But this is avoidable. Early intervention and prevention is best. It’s also much cheaper for us all.
‘So, we need our Government to step up and prioritise the simple measures that we know will reduce alcohol harm and save lives: proper controls on alcohol marketing especially online, minimum unit pricing in England, honest alcohol labelling, and reintroducing our sensible, historic controls on when alcohol can be sold.’
Some British women who have decided to steer clear from booze have claimed they felt a pressure to drink.
Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive for national drugs, alcohol and mental health charity WithYou, has highlighted the importance of raising awareness about harmful drinking.
She said she wants to see the stigma change, particularly when it comes to women – who she says are less likely to reach out for in-person support, fearing repercussions and societal judgement, because of their role as primary caregivers.
How European women enjoy ‘a very different drinking’ culture to the British – and prefer a glass of wine with food
By Nick Pisa and Peter Allen
European women enjoy a ‘very different drinking’ culture to the British – with some from other countries slamming the habit as ‘unattractive’ and ‘classless’.
A survey last year by the Italian Superior Institute of Health, revealed that less than 10 percent of the country were ‘binge drinkers’.
The highest percentage of binge drinkers were in northern Italian regions bordering Austria, where the population has more of a Germanic drinking culture.
Statistics showed that 42% of women didn’t even drink – and those that did said ‘always with a meal’.
The survey said around 3.5 million people in the country were classed as ‘binge drinkers’.
Hotel manager Anna Cannistra, 33, from Milan said: ‘I very rarely drink, maybe once a week if that, and sometimes I will go for weeks without drinking.
Anna Cannistra, 33, from Milan said she never goes out with the intention of getting drunk
Angelica Di Liddo, from Matera, southern Italy, said:’ It’s well known that British people love drinking but here in Italy it’s a very different culture’
‘If it’s a special occasion I may have a glass or two of prosecco but always with a meal – I would never go out with the intention of getting drunk, none of my friends do.
‘I’m not surprised to hear that British woman are the biggest drinkers, the guys drink a lot as well, so I suppose it follows suit.
‘I’ve been to London a few times and I’ve sat in a pub and had a soft drink and I’ve been shocked to see women just drinking pints and bottles of beer – with nothing to eat.
‘I don’t know how they manage because friends in England have told me it is so expensive over there.’
Lawyer Angelica Di Liddo, from Matera, southern Italy, said: ‘It’s well known that British people love drinking but here in Italy it’s a very different culture.
‘I and my friends would never think to go out in an evening and spend the whole time drinking just to get drunk.
‘We would have an aperitivo with maybe an Aperol and a few nibbles and that would last a couple of hours and then go to a restaurant where we would have a bottle of wine.
Nurse Ornella Carbone, 29, said she would ave something to eat with a drink – and wouldn’t ‘just drink all night’
Anna Bua believes people in Britain seem to have a very different attitude when it comes to alcohol
‘It’s not like the UK where to have a good night you have to get drunk – we like to keep a level head in the evening, I’m not saying Italians are angels but the majority drink responsibly.’
Nurse Ornella Carbone, also 29, said at most she’d have two or three drinks a week and one of those would only be if there was an event.
She also said she would also have something to eat with a drink – and wouldn’t ‘just drink all night’.
‘I’m surprised that British women are the highest, I thought the Germans would be higher but either way it’s the northern European countries who are always the heaviest drinkers,’ she told.
Student Lucia Andueza, 21, from Milan, said it all comes down to cultural differences. She said people in Italy and Britain are ‘very different when it comes to drinking’ and that the weather may have an influence.
‘It’s cold in England so people stay indoors and drink at home or in the pub. in the Mediterranean the weather is warmer.
‘We are outside and if we do have a drink, it’s usually just the one, maybe two but that’s very rare.
‘When I was in London, I was amazed at how much people drank and with nothing to eat, that can’t be good for you.’
Fellow student Anna Bua, 21, told MailOnline: ‘Its really a very different way of life when it comes to drinking for us.
‘We will savour a glass of wine or an Aperol and of course we will have something to eat with it, I would not go out with the aim of just having glass after glass of wine and getting smashed.
‘People in Britain seem to have a very different attitude when it comes to alcohol, there is a lot of heavy drinking there, maybe there is some sort of repression in the culture.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever had more than three drinks in one go and even if I do it’s for a special occasion it’s not every weekend like people in Britain seem to do.’
Lucia Andueza, 21, from Milan, said it all comes down to cultural differences
In France, pastry chef Lou Aussignac, 18, described her drinking habits as ‘quite British’.
She said he loves winding down after a long day’s work with a nice pint of beer.
‘Friday night is always the big one, when I can drink up to four pints with all my friends around me,’ she said, adding that he also likes cider during the week.
‘It’s not surprising to hear that the British are the top drinkers. I guess that over doing it can get dangerous when you’re older, so you have to be careful.’
Aya, 19, a cheese industry worker said Paris is jam packed with bars and restaurants and cafés.
But she said that although drinking is part of French culture, ‘people get the balance right with food.’
‘Cheese and a bit of wine is very sensible,’ she added.
Madoka Iwasaki, 29, in France, said she likes to drink but only in moderation
Aya, 19, a cheese industry worker said in Paris people get the balance of food and drink right
Madoka Iwasaki, 29, a confectionary worker in France said she likes to drink but only in moderation. Perhaps one or two drinks a week, after work with colleagues.
Those interviewed by MailOnline in Poland firmly believed that British women are the biggest drinkers.
Magda Galecka, a media worker from Warsaw, said: ‘People think that us Eastern Europeans drink a lot, but now we know who the real culprits are – British women.
‘I have seen in UK pictures of people queuing up to get into pubs so it doesn’t really surprise me that the women are the biggest drinkers.
‘I mean, I like to drink too, but I have the impression women in the UK are a bit more hardcore than over here. Not all of them, obviously, but just generally.’
Ms Galecka added that she sometimes sees groups of women out on hen nights ‘shouting and screaming’. She added: ‘They are pretty wild.’
Magda Galecka (pictured), a media worker from Warsaw, said: ‘People think that us Eastern Europeans drink a lot, but now we know who the real culprits are – British women.’
Victoria Voight (pictured), a social media manager in Warsaw, said that her parents were planning to send her to a boarding school in England but chose not to because of ‘British women and their drinking habits’
Nicol (pictured), who works in a Warsaw cafe said she was not surprised that British women are the world’s biggest binge drinkers because ‘Brits have a reputation for being big drinkers’
Olga (pictured), the manager of a trendy wine bar in Warsaw, said that in Poland she usually sees female Brits who are businesswoman and tend to be more ‘sophisticated’.
Victoria Voight, a social media manager in Warsaw, said that her parents were planning to send her to a boarding school in England but chose not to because of ‘British women and their drinking habits’.
She said: ‘It’s because of British women and their drinking habits that my parents didn’t send me to school in England. When I was younger they were planning to send me to a boarding school near London.
‘But they went to watch Wimbledon and later they saw how British women behave in public when drinking alcohol and whatever. They were drunk, loud and half undressed so my parents decided I should stay in Poland.
‘So, yeah, I guess that hasn’t changed much. It’s a pity because we are too amazing to let alcohol take control of our grace and true femininity.’
Nicol, who works in a Warsaw cafe said she was not surprised to hear the results of the survey because of the reputation that Britons have.
Olga, the manager of a trendy wine bar in Warsaw, said that in Poland she usually sees female Brits who are businesswomen and tend to be more ‘sophisticated’.
But she added: ‘But, when I was travelling I met lots of British girls who were backpacking and they really liked to party.
‘One group I met in Prague were drinking beer, cocktails and wine every night. I have friends in Krakow which has quite a lot of hen-dos and she said the British women seem to drink more than others. They also tend to be the loudest after a few drinks.’
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK
One screening tool used widely by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). Developed in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, the 10-question test is considered to be the gold standard in helping to determine if someone has alcohol abuse problems.
The test has been reproduced here with permission from the WHO.
To complete it, answer each question and note down the corresponding score.
YOUR SCORE:
0-7: You are within the sensible drinking range and have a low risk of alcohol-related problems.
Over 8: Indicate harmful or hazardous drinking.
8-15: Medium level of risk. Drinking at your current level puts you at risk of developing problems with your health and life in general, such as work and relationships. Consider cutting down (see below for tips).
16-19: Higher risk of complications from alcohol. Cutting back on your own may be difficult at this level, as you may be dependent, so you may need professional help from your GP and/or a counsellor.
20 and over: Possible dependence. Your drinking is already causing you problems, and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider stopping gradually or at least reduce your drinking. You should seek professional help to ascertain the level of your dependence and the safest way to withdraw from alcohol.
Severe dependence may need medically assisted withdrawal, or detox, in a hospital or a specialist clinic. This is due to the likelihood of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the first 48 hours needing specialist treatment.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
