Struggling on the dating scene? Try moderating your drinking
Brits drink smart to so they can enjoy their conversations (30%), stay in control (20%) and not say inappropriate things (29%) on dates
Nearly half (45%) moderate their alcohol to save money
Majority of Brits agree that a man who can moderate his alcohol intake is attractive (61%)
A quarter of Brits wish they’d drank more responsibly at university
37% of students have missed a lecture due to drinking too much – and 5% have missed an exam
Moderate drinking and the dating scene
Almost a third of Brits (30%) polled said that they moderate their drinking on a night out so that they can enjoy ‘coherent and meaningful’ conversations, stay in control (20%), not embarrass themselves (38%) or say inappropriate things (29%) – all very important when on a date.
Unfortunately, almost one in 10 Brits (8%) admitted to making a fool of themselves on a date after drinking too much, and 7% owned up to going home with someone they didn’t plan to, thanks to over-consumption of alcohol.
Brits also believe moderate drinking is alluring; two thirds of Brits (61%) agree that a man who can moderate his alcohol intake is attractive, whilst a further three in five Brits (59%) also agree that their opinion of someone would change if they witnessed them getting carried away on a night out2.
University drinking
It’s not just love lives that are affected by alcohol intake; it’s also having an impact on our education, with a quarter (25%) of university graduates wishing they drank more responsibly whilst studying.
Nearly two fifths (37%) of students admitted to missing a lecture and 5% even missed an exam after drinking too much the night before. On a positive note, more than a third (39%) claim moderate drinking – aided by the lack of a hangover – helped them meet university deadlines. Almost one in 10 (9%) claim their overall degree result was negatively affected by their drinking habits.
And it isn’t just work output that is impacted, with almost a fifth of students (19%) saying their sleep was impacted by drinking too. Furthermore, 15% claim that alcohol over consumption at university impacted their weight – thought to be because of the increased consumption of unhealthy foods (16%) alongside.
However, a third of Brits (33%) claim to have switched it up and drunk responsibly at university. This supports growing trends among the contemporary generation, who are increasingly motivated by balanced and healthy lifestyles, with 41% of those aged 18 to 19 actively trying to moderate their drinking habits3.
As such the lower and non-alcohol beer category has grown 19.5% in the past year4 alone, with nearly a third of Brits (32%) having tried alcohol-free beer, and millennials enjoying it at least once a week5
Yvonne Wake, a Public Health Nutritionist and Wellbeing Consultant, comments:
“Alcohol is associated with several lifestyle situations, as it’s often consumed when socialising and meeting new people – especially first dates – so it’s great to see that nearly a third of Brits moderate their alcohol intake to ensure that they can have meaningful conversations. To help you drink moderately on a night out, try to alternate your drinking to include alcohol-free drinks, such as Beck’s Blue or water.”
Commenting on the research, Anna Tolley, Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, AB InBev UK & Ireland said: “We’re asking Brits to switch it up, especially during the festive season, so they can experience the benefits of moderating their alcohol in-take first hand. It’s interesting to see people acknowledge the impact that over-consumption can have on both the dating scene and university experiences, and great to see a more moderate approach to alcohol is starting to appeal to our younger generation.”
“Offering people a variety of great tasting, alcohol-free options is an important part of our commitment to responsible drinking at AB InBev, and as part of our Global Smart Drinking Goals we are committing to ensure that low or no-alcohol beer represents at least 20% of our global beer volume by 2025.”
A third of Brits (33%) have succumbed to the pitfall of making an online purchase under the influence – something to bear in mind with Christmas just around the corner!
-Ends-
For more information contact Megan or Emily at 3 Monkeys Zeno at Becks@3-monkeys.co.uk or 020 7009 3117
Notes to Editor:
Lower-alcohol refers to a beverage with no more than 1.2%. Alcohol-free products are no more than 0.05% alcohol.
Half of those polled have an alcoholic drink once a week, and nearly a quarter (24%) drink at least twice in seven days. The average male drinks 133.6 times a year – every 2.7 days – reducing to 101.9 times a year for women. Those over 55 drink most frequently, averaging 142.2 times a year, or every 2.5 days.
Sources
Opinium interviewed 2,000 GB adults online between the 26th and 29th July 2016. Data was weighted to reflect a nationally representative audience of GB adults aged 18+.
Opinium interviewed 2,005 GB adults online between the 19th and 24th of February 2016. Data was weighted to reflect a nationally representative audience of GB adults aged 18+.
Kantar Worldpanel Alcovision; 12 m/e 31 March 2015
IRI 52 w/e 5 November 2016
Opinium interviewed 2,003 GB adults online between the 4th and 8th of December 2015. Data was weighted to reflect a nationally representative audience of GB adults aged 18+.
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol Use and Your Health. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htmX
Holmes MV, Dale CE, Zuccolo L, et al. Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease: Mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data.BMJ 2014;349:g4164
About AB InBev UK
AB InBev UK Ltd is the UK trading subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ABI) and South Africa (JSE: ANB) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). In the UK, AB InBev employs nearly 1,000 people in our two breweries and local headquarters. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. We are proud to offer the UK’s leading premium beer and cider brands, including global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Beck’s®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bass® and Boddingtons®. We are a founding member of the Portman Group, member of the British Beer and Pub Association, supporter of the Drinkaware Trust, have partnered with the Alcohol Education Trust and are a signatory to a number of pledges as part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal. Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Learn more at www.ab-inbev.co.uk or on Twitter through @ABInBevUKI_News