What are you having? Drinkaware reveals the nation’s drinking habits in its annual survey
Karen Tyrell, Chief Executive Officer
| Drinkaware
New research from Drinkaware’s Annual Monitor – the UK’s only nationally representative survey on drinking habits – reveals what drives people to reduce their drinking and how social connection can influence their own relationship with alcohol
As the UK’s leading alcohol charity, Drinkaware’s mission is simple: to reduce alcohol harm. To achieve this, we know that the right data and insights are crucial.
While there have been some encouraging trends in the UK’s drinking habits – such as more adults drinking less, more people moderating, and a decline in binge drinking – significant challenges remain.
That’s why the Drinkaware Monitor is so important. It is a fantastic source of information and offers insights into the UK’s drinking patterns and behaviours, which can help parliamentarians and policymakers when thinking about alcohol.
Harnessing these insights is crucial if we want to reduce alcohol harm, particularly as the government rightly shifts towards a more community-led preventive approach, as outlined in the NHS Ten-Year Health Plan. They should shape the discussion and actions being taken.
Since 2017, Drinkaware has partnered with YouGov to conduct this annual survey, monitoring long-term changes and tracking key trends in drinking behaviour. It remains the UK’s only annual, comprehensive, and nationally representative survey of people’s drinking patterns, attitudes and experiences.
This year, we approached the Monitor with a focus on moderation to better understand what drives people to take that first step in cutting back on their drinking.
We found that social connection can be hugely influential in shaping our relationship with alcohol. One of the most striking insights is that four in 10 UK adults say they know someone who has stopped drinking or is cutting back. Among younger adults, it’s nearly half.
Why does this matter?
When someone close to us changes their behaviour, it often prompts us to reflect on our own. For example, nearly half of drinkers who know someone who has changed their drinking say it has influenced their own relationship with alcohol – whether by making them more aware of their habits or giving them the confidence to make changes themselves. You are twice as likely to have reduced your drinking in the past year if you know someone else who has done the same.
In essence, as moderation spreads, it can influence those around us, creating a ripple effect – one that empowers others to take that first step towards cutting back.
Despite these encouraging signs, we can’t afford to stop there – especially when it comes to supporting those drinking more than they should. According to our research, around one in five UK adults still drink above the Chief Medical Officer’s low-risk drinking guidelines of 14 units a week.
This is the group of people that needs our help the most. Starting with recognising that their drinking may be putting their health at risk, followed by giving them the tools and motivation to reduce their drinking. Tools like the Drinkaware Drinking Check – a simple, easy-to-use digital prevention tool – can play a key role in supporting that change.
If we’re serious about making a real and lasting difference, top-down interventions alone are not enough – meaningful change must also be driven at a community level, and Drinkaware is ideally placed to support this.
We want to work closely with parliamentarians, ministers, policymakers, industry and wider civil society to reach more of those people who need our support and drive lasting change. Collectively, we can turn insight into action and create healthier lives for people across every part of the UK.
For the latest research and data into the nation’s drinking trends, including the 2025 Drinkaware Monitor, visit www.drinkaware.co.uk.
Drinkaware offers a tested, independent, and ready-made platform to help realise the NHS’s ambitions. To find out more, contact our Research Director, Annabelle Bonus, at [email protected].
- Pearson, A. and Slater, E. (2025). Relationships with alcohol: Attitudes, influences and change in 2025. Drinkaware Monitor 2025. [online] PS Research and Drinkaware.
