Survey shows 42% of drinkers regularly drink because of stress

With the summer holidays drawing to a close, and children going back to school tomorrow, adults returning to work after a well deserved break have been urged not to turn to alcohol to relieve the stress of it all.

New figures from a Know Your Limits/YouGov poll show more than two-fifths (42%) of English drinkers say they tend to drink to unwind after a stressful day. Men are the most likely to reach for the bottle, with 45% of men and 40% of women giving stress relief as one of the reasons they drink. Overall, the trend is most marked in those of parenting age, with over half of the 25-44 age group citing stress as a motivation to drink, compared to just 30% of over 55s.

GP Dr Sarah Jarvis said: “If you’re returning to work, turning to the bottle can actually increase your stress levels. Try exercise or a nice warm bath to unwind instead. Regularly exceeding the guideline alcohol limits can increase your risk of several forms of cancer, heart disease and stroke.”

The YouGov poll results are bolstered by a separate survey of 3,000 mums by the website, Netmums, which reveals that half of mums (49%) drink at home on at least three or four nights a week. Of those mums who drink more than Government guidelines, 81% do so to wind down from a stressful day and 86% felt they drank too much.

Siobhan Freegard of Netmums said: “The extent to which this research showed modern mums are drinking really surprised us. It shows many mums and dads are developing a ‘bottle a night’ habit without really thinking about the health consequences.

“Getting used to juggling work and home life again after the summer break can be stressful for parents, but it’s important not to allow yourself to slip back into the routine of relying on alcohol to help you unwind.”

A bottle of wine (ABV 13.5%) contains 10 units, so sharing one with a partner puts both men and women over the recommended daily limit guideline of 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women. Regularly exceeding these guidelines increases the risk of long-term health harms.

Results from the YouGov survey also show that heavy drinkers are more likely to put their drinking down to stress than any other reason. In fact, almost twice as many of those who drink at 'higher risk' levels* do so to unwind after a stressful day than 'lower risk' drinkers who drink at or below recommended guidelines (68% vs 35%). Lower risk drinkers are far more likely to drink simply to socialise with friends (65%).

To see how your units add up, visit www.nhs.uk/units for an easy-to-use drinks calculator. Anyone concerned about their drinking can call Drinkline on 0800 876 6778 or visit their GP.