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Middle class wine drinkers hit again by UK government
January 23, 2009
By Lucy Shaw
Middle class wine drinkers have again come under fire from the UK government after figures published yesterday show excessive home consumption is putting their health at risk.
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) middle-aged, middle class professionals are more likely to exceed recommended daily levels of alcohol consumption than the working classes, with twice as many drinking every night of the week.
The study, which was conducted in 2007, also claims middle class drinkers are more likely to indulge in 'heavy' drinking, which equates to double the recommended daily limit. Current guidelines put the daily limits at three to four units for men and two to three for women.
The ONS claims 43% of professionals (7.5m adults) exceed the daily limits for drinking, with one in five consuming more than double the limit on their heaviest drinking day.
Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat spokesman on health said the statistics 'lift the lid on the very serious hidden binge drinking epidemic among the middle classes that has gone unnoticed'.
Gavin Partington, the spokesperson for the Wine and Spirits Trade Association, attacked the figures.
'In our current economic climate it's not good for the government to be telling people to do away with the simple pleasure of drinking at home when there aren't many pleasures left,' he said.
He added that 'questionable guidelines' had been turned into limits that did not represent an accurate assessment of the danger. He said a sense of perspective had been lost.
'Annual alcohol consumption has been going down since 2004, with 2008 seeing the biggest drop, so we are actually drinking far less than we used to,' he said. 'Lecturing ordinary people about enjoying wine at home won't have any resonance, it will only make people skeptical'.
The Department of Health wants unit content to be published on the labels of all alcoholic drinks, including wine bottles, to help people keep track of their consumption. The drinks industry is currently being monitored for compliance.
Have your say...
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“Excessive” is subjective—a matter of opinion—and relative. The “recommended limits” cited here were set by a meddlesome department of a government increasingly trying to create a nanny-state. Treating their opinions, which aren't backed by any science or real research, as objective and factual, merely helps reinforce their dubious conclusions.
Brian St. Pierre
I pride myself on being a middle class binge drinker and am not only skeptical but scathing of over sober self-righteous vertically minded bigots whose desire to control every conceivable aspect of our lives reduces both the quality of life and the measure of pleasure contained therein! I'd like to locate Norman Lamb's source of relaxation and remove it - I expect that would amount to little more than his power to butt into other peoples lives!
Nick Breeze
The article referred "Middle Class wine drinkers hit again..." is dated on my birthday, 23 Jan., but 73 years later. It calls for 3 or 4 units per day max.. I have drunk (approximately) three units (but BOTTLES) a day for 40 years, and I can still walk, talk and drink. And I bet the UK CABAL at Westminster still do the same. How about you?
Jim McDonald, Sydney, Australia
Wine or Spirits? Let's draw a clear line please. One issue is Wine other issue is the rest of the Dead Beverages; well known as booze.
Cato
And among those professionals, the doctors, it goes without saying, always abide by their recommended daily levels of alcohol consumption.
Anthony Rose
Mr Breeze - I love you!
Oliver Hartley, London, UK
Oh, Good Lord, this is utterly unbelievable. Is their nothing better for these busy-bodies to be spending their time and tax-payers money on? Is there no limit to the lengths that the Nanny-State will go to interfere with every nook and cranny of citizens' lives. It is enough to drive anyone to drink.
I will deliberately up my consumption this week in order to assuage my anger - and do my bit to justify the existence of these weasels.
Lets all start boycotting bottles that carry these counts of units and fatuous homilies on their labels. Who wants to plonk a bottle wine in front of his guests at a dinner party covered with this sort of nonsense. We are supposed to be adults who have reached the age of discretion, not ignorant children.
Rob, Suffolk, UK
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