Alcohol is a massive part of our social lives in the UK, and UK drinking culture is a popular topic these days.
For a long time, the first pint of the average Brit has been seen as a rite of passage, and friends who frequently have ‘one too many‘ are usually the subject of many jokes. But attitudes are slowly but surely changing, especially amongst the younger generations. Is the reign of the British boozer finally over?
Plenty of countries such as Afghanistan, Dijbouti, India and Iran already uphold drinking bans, largely due to religion, but it’s highly unlikely that the UK drinking culture will follow suit any time soon. Alcohol accounts for 2.5% of the total GDP to our national income. For perspective, that’s a staggering £46 billion every year (and rising)[I]. Getting rid of this source of income overnight would massively damage the economy.
Drinking culture is the traditions that surround the consumption of alcohol, and the UK drinking culture has long been the cause of raised eyebrows around the world. British people have gained an infamous reputation in other countries for our drunken escapades while abroad, and we often don’t behave much better when in our own country.
However, it seems that with each generation, the UK’s drinking culture is becoming less popular. Now people are more aware of the issues that drinking can cause, from alcoholism to FASD, they are much less likely to adopt a drinking habit. It’s been reported that a massive 30% of young people in the UK don’t drink.
Want to find out more? Take a look at our infographic on the UK drinking culture below.
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UK Drinking Culture Infographic
[i] https://www.ias.org.uk/uploads/pdf/IAS%20reports/rp23022017.pdf