Britons are in denial over the effects of drinking too much alcohol on their health, according to a new survey by Legal & General. While alcohol-related deaths have doubled in last 15 years, just 12% out of 4,640 adults who were questioned during the last 3 months, worried about the effects of over drinking wherein other respondents were more concerned about lack of sleep, exercise and too much stress – says Legal & General.
The research, which is undergoing its fourth phase, shows low level of concern over the health impacts of excessive alcohol consumption and also suggested that the young people in the age group of 16 to 24 were the biggest binge drinkers, with 32% of men and 24% of women in that age group admitting to excessive drinking.University students who are prone to drinking because of easy access to cheap alcohol are much worried about the health effects of drinking too much, accounting to 26% compared to just 12% nationally. Moreover the research findings suggested that there is a gap in people understanding of the effect drinking too much can have on our health.
Legal & General's Chris Rolland said: “With Christmas just around the corner, many people would be tempted to drink excess alcohol in the coming weeks. 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."
A spokeswoman from Department of Health said that the Government has taken great efforts for encouraging responsible drinking. "We recently launched a multimillion-pound responsible drinking campaign - Know Your Limits - with the Home Office which urges people to take responsibility for their drinking levels," She added. Establishing a voluntary agreement with the drinks industry on the labeling of alcohol with sensible drinking messages might help in bridging the gap.
Source-Medindia
SRI
