• Back toInformation

Search this site

 

Latest updates to site

Alcohol Consumption

Sensible drinking guidelines in the UK are defined in terms of daily benchmarks, which are currently no more than 3-4 units per day for men and no more than 2-3 units per day for women. These benchmarks are the result of a UK Government Working Group report published in 1995 called Sensible Drinking. Prior to this sensible drinking guidelines were based on weekly consumption, with recommended limits of 21 units per week for men and 14 units per week for women.

In the UK a 'unit of alcohol' is 8 gms (10 ml) of pure alcohol. A pint of strong (5%) lager is about 3 units, a glass (175ml) of wine at 12% is about 2 units, a 25ml measure of spirits is 1 unit. Information about units of alcohol and sensible drinking is available in Alcofacts - A guide to sensible drinking published by NHS Health Scotland.

Adults

Scottish Health Survey
The main source of data on adult alcohol consumption in Scotland is the Scottish Health Survey. It reports on a wide range of data in relation to alcohol consumption, such as weekly consumption and heaviest drinking day in the past week. Analysis is reported by age, gender and socio-economic group.
The Scottish Health Survey 2009 - Volume 1:Main Report - September 2010
The Scottish Health Survey 2009 - Volume 2: Technical Report - September 2010
The Scottish Health Survey - Summary of Key Findings - September 2010
Supplementary Web Tables 2009 - September 2010
The Scottish Health Survey: Topic Report UK Comparisons - August 2010
The Scottish Health Survey 2008 - September 2009 (please check 2008 revision document below)
Supplementary Web Tables 2008 - November 2009
Scottish Health Survey 2003 - Revised Alcohol Consumption Estimates - June 2008
Detailed update of the analysis included in the 2003 Scottish Health survey alcohol chapter (for adults - Volume 2: Chapter 1 and one table from the children's report - Volume 3: Chapter 1) published in November 2005.
Scottish Health Survey 2003 - November 2005
Scottish Health Survey 1998 - November 2000
Scottish Health Survey 1995 - August 1997

General Household Survey 
The General Household Survey is a GB wide survey undertaken annually.  Questions on alcohol consumption are usually asked every 2 years. In 2001, Scottish data was reported on heaviest drinking day in past week, number of days on which drank in past week and mean weekly alcohol consumption.

Drinking: Adults Behaviour & Knowledge 
This publication contains information about respondents' drinking behaviour, awareness of units, and alcohol consumption. The information is presented for GB as a whole.

Health Education Population Survey (HEPS)
This survey was initiated by HEBS (now NHS Health Scotland) in 1995 to monitor general population trends in Scotland in adults’ knowledge, awareness, attitudes and motivation to change with respect to health and health-related behaviours. The survey collects data annually from approximately 1,800 adults, aged 16-74 years. Section 8, Alcohol, reports on risk behaviour, knowledge and motivation to reduce consumption.

Children

Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle & Substance Use Survey (SALSUS)
This survey collects a range of information about drinking, including the amount drunk in the previous week and the frequency of drinking,   It continues the series of biennial surveys of smoking, drinking and drug use among school children in Scotland and provides the national estimates of the proportion of young people aged 13 and 15 who smoke, drink alcohol and/or take illegal drugs. As in 2002, the survey in 2006 was designed to allow reporting at local as well as national level. 

Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) - National Report 2008

Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) - National Report 2006

Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) - National Report 2004 [PDF 1.2MB]

Interim Report of the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey 2004

SALSUS National Report Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among 13 and 15 year olds in Scotland in 2002

SALSUS continues the series of surveys which provide national estimates of substance use among pupils aged under 16. The 2000 survey is available at the following link.

Smoking, drinking & drug use among young people in Scotland in 2000

Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC)
HBSC is a cross-national research study conducted in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. There are now 36 participating countries and regions. The first cross-national survey was conducted in 1983/84, the second in 1985/86 and since then data collection has been carried out every four years using a common research protocol. The most recent survey was conducted in 2001/02. HBSC has carried out surveys in Scottish schools since 1985.
Health Behaviours of Scottish Schoolchildren, technical report 1: smoking, drinking and drug use in the 1990's
Further information on HBSC is available from
www.hbsc.org/index.html