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New figures released by alcohol social responsibility body the Portman Group show that a large majority of people either don’t drink alcohol, or drink within the current low risk drinking guidelines in an average week.

Recent YouGov polling into drinking attitudes, commissioned by the Portman Group, found that 76% of those surveyed either don’t drink or drink within the current Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) drinking guidelines of up to 14 units a week. This breaks down by gender to 85% of women and 67% of men. Crucially, just 3% of the population are drinking more than 35 units in an average week. Higher risk levels are defined as more than 35 units for women and 50 units for men per week.

The 35-44 age bracket appears to be leading the way when it comes to drinking at low risk levels, with 83% either not drinking or drinking within the guidelines. For 18-34 year olds the same figure is 79%, for those aged 45-54 it is 73% and is 73% for those aged 55 or over.

John Timothy, Chief Executive of the Portman Group, commented:

“The figures mirror what the official statistics have been showing for a while, telling a positive story about responsible drinking amongst the vast majority of adults. While this doesn’t distract from the need for measured and targeted interventions to reduce harm amongst a persistent minority we must also celebrate the very real progress that has been made in supporting people to drink responsibly and in moderation.”