- Three quarters of Brits say being hungover is a waste of time – and they'd rather be having sex
- Ten percent of Brits have missed a job interview, and eight percent missed a wedding because they were hungover
- Macmillan Cancer Support urges Brits to ban the booze and avoid hellish hangovers by doing its Go Sober for October fundraiser
Boozy Brits spend almost a year of their lives – 315 days - being hungover, according to new estimates by Macmillan Cancer Support.
The average person will have a seven-hour hangover at least once a month, and a shocking 1 in 14 (7%) Brits will have an estimated 3024 hangovers in their lifetime.
The research, which was conducted by Onepoll to mark the launch of Macmillan's Go Sober for October fundraising event, surveyed 2000 Britons over the age of 18, and paints a shocking picture about the hazards of hangovers.
Women bear the brunt of lengthy hangovers, with the average lasting almost nine hours, compared to men's hangovers which last an average of seven hours. Those aged 18 – 24 are most likely to be hungover for the longest period, around eight hours.
The research shows that, when it comes to the frequency of hangovers during an average month, there is a north-south divide. One in five (22%) people living in the North-East, North-West and Yorkshire and Humberside have more than four hangovers each month, compared to one in seven (15%) of those from London, the South East and South West.
The research also looked at what people found most annoying about having a hangover and what they'd missed out on because of one. Over half (52%) of those surveyed said the most annoying aspect of being hungover was that it made them feel sick while a quarter (27%) cited wasting time as their biggest bugbear.
Of those who complained about a hangover being a waste of time, a quarter (23%) said if they weren't hungover they'd have more sex.
A further 1 in 6 (16%) said they'd learn a language, 2 in 5 (41%) said they'd exercise more and 1 in 8 (13%) said they'd learn an instrument.
The study suggests that being hungover could jeopardise your chance of finding romance or getting your dream job, as a shocking ten percent Brits confessed that they'd missed a job interview because they were hungover.
A further one in 13 (8%) missed out on a first date because they were hungover, and the same percentage were too hungover to attend a wedding. A shameful 1 in 20 (6%) missed a funeral because of a hangover.
Macmillan is asking people to sign up for the Go Sober challenge, abstaining from drinking alcohol during October and being sponsored to do so. If you do have a special event during your challenge and want to drink alcohol for it, your friends or family can buy you a Golden Ticket' by donating £15 or more to your fundraising page.
Hannah Redmond, Head of National Events Marketing for Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
“This research shows hangovers are a waste of time and are causing people to miss out on everything from romance to their dream job. That's why we're asking people to sign up for Macmillan's Go Sober fundraising event, abstain from drinking alcohol for the month of October and ask family and friends to sponsor them. The money raised will provide vital funds to support people affected by cancer so they don't have to face it alone.”
John Roberts, an actor from Ellesmere Port, took part in Macmillan's Go Sober event last year after his relatives were affected by cancer, and has now stayed sober for almost year.
He says:
“It's crazy to think that when you add the time up over a lifetime, you might spend a whole year of your life being hungover, but I'm not surprised. I once had such a heavy New Year's Eve I was hungover for a week! Since doing Go Sober, I've lost at least two stone, taken up jogging, have much more energy, and I've raised more than £2000 for Macmillan.”