Latest alcohol report signals that UK drinking culture is under control

Today Portman, the group who regulate the UK’s alcohol industry, published the findings of their YouGov report on alcohol consumption during the pandemic and hospitality reopening. And despite predictions that drinking would spiral during lockdown the report found that drinkers had stuck to moderation over the past year and are planning a careful return to pubs.

At the beginning of April YouGov polled more than 2,300 UK adults and found that overall alcohol consumption and sales have decreased. This is in line with other 33 other national studies and government polls that suggest the crisis did not have a negative effect on drinking rates.

Crucially, the report found that;

• 78% of UK adults either do not drink or drink within the CMO guidelines – echoing the results consistently seen in official Government data.
• 73% of UK drinkers say they drank either the same or less since the beginning of the pandemic compared to previous years
• Close to a third (32%) of UK drinkers said they have cut down

It is interesting to note that 69% of those polled believe that the UK population’s drinking had increased over the past year, only 6% were correct in stating that we drank less.

Back to the pubs

The results showed an orderly return to hospitality, with only 50% intending to visit pubs and bars at the same frequency as before, whilst 14% intend to visit more and 22% visiting less. However the report showed that pubgoers are most looking forward to being able to socialise with friends and family again (68%) and regaining a sense of normality (57%).

It was also found that 33% of 18-24 year olds were planning to visit the pub less whilst older adults were likely to visit less or not at all.

The findings also raise concerns about the increased alcohol consumption of the small minority of those who were already drinking heavily before the pandemic. The isolation and uncertainty caused by the lockdown has clearly contributed toward this which is why alcohol marketers need to be more responsible than ever before with their campaigns.

We will be running an Alcohol & Marketing Webinar on Wednesday 19^th May to cover off all of the rules and best practice for drinks campaigns and promotions, including those for no and low-alcohol ones. Sign-up here or contact us to find out how PromoVeritas can help you ensure your next alcohol campaign is run right.