Drinkaware Monitor 2024

Background

In addition to tracking changes in key drinking behaviours over time, our 2024 Drinkaware Monitor examined UK adults’ ability to recognise the signs of problem drinking, their perceptions of what constitutes risky drinking, and stigma towards those with alcohol problems. Additionally, it also explored adults' moderation practices, evaluating the perceived effectiveness of different techniques and the level of support received from others during efforts to moderate.

Key findings

People are drinking less, with moderation on the rise

When UK adults do drink, they are drinking less

• 46% of UK drinkers typically consume 1-2 units when drinking (up from 43% in 2023), while 81% drink within the UK Chief Medical Officers' low risk drinking guidelines of 14 units per week (up from 77% in 2018). 

UK drinkers are more likely to be moderating their drinking in 2024

• Nine in ten (90%) UK drinkers are trying to moderate their drinking in some way, up from 87% in 2023 and 84% in 2018.
• Drink-free days are still the most popular moderation technique (71% of UK drinkers currently do this), while zero-alcohol (25% in 2023 vs. 31% in 2024) and low-alcohol (28% in 2023 vs. 34% in 2024) products, particularly, are becoming more widely used. 

Generally, UK adults are also drinking less often in 2024. 

• 13% of UK adults were drinking 4 or more times per week in 2024 (down year-on-year since 2020), while 36% drink alcohol less often than monthly, or not at all (up from 30% in 2018). 

However, knowledge of the drinking guidelines is mixed

• 51% of UK adults think the drinking guidelines specify a weekly limit, whilst only 17% correctly estimated that the weekly limit specified by the guidelines is 14 units. 

There are mixed signals around drinking concern

Generally, UK drinkers are not concerned about their own drinking 

• 14% of UK drinkers are concerned about their drinking, while 17% think it is likely that their current level of drinking will lead to future health problems. 

Despite 3 in 10 drinkers drinking at 'risky' levels

• 29% of UK drinkers are classified as increasing risk or above by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) - similar to the levels in 2023 (30%). 

Concern for someone else's drinking is more common

• 28% of UK adults are concerned about someone else's drinking - up from 26% in 2023.

Most UK adults recognise the signs of 'risky' and 'problem' drinking

• The majority of UK adults recognise that certain behaviours (based on those assessed by AUDIT) are signs of risky drinking, with 'not being able to stop drinking once started' being the most widely identified as risky (84%).
• Likewise, the majority of UK adults recognise that certain behaviours (based on the Alcohol Problems Questionnaire) are signs that someone may have a drinking problem, with 'sometimes being late to work because of their drinking' being the most widely recognised (83%). 

Drinkers may be worried about being labelled, with some justification

Being labelled may deter drinkers from seeking help should they need to

• 28% of UK adults feel that being labelled would put them off seeking help if they needed to, while admitting to others that they had a problem would be the biggest barrier (33%).

These concerns may be valid...

• 64% of UK adults feel that someone with an alcohol problem is not respected, while 53% feel that they are different to everyone else.

Are enough drinkers assessing their drinking or getting help?

Alcohol assessments are not widely used, even by those who drink at risky levels

• Only 27% of UK adults have been asked to complete an alcohol assessment - rising only to 35% among those who drink above the weekly unit guidelines. 

Very few drinkers have ever sought help or advice for their drinking 

• 3% of UK drinkers have contacted a service or organisation for help or advice about their own drinking - rising to 15% if someone has expressed concern about their drinking. 

Some drinkers may be unlikely to seek support should they ever need it

• 21% of UK drinkers said they would not reach out to any of the listed services organisations if they needed help or advice about alcohol, while 19% did not know. 

Drinkers are more inclined to opt for conventional services should they ever need help or advice

• UK drinkers are most likely to reach out to their General Practitioner (GP) should they ever need help or advice about alcohol (35% said they would), while they are least likely to say they would reach out to an app/digital service (10% said they would). 
  
  

View the UK report below or download it. You can also view findings for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in our individual nation reports or download them below.

For more information on research objectives, survey questions and methodology, see the tabs at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, download our technical report.