Workers now drink more than the unemployed

UK data show 65 per cent of workers surveyed in 2012 had at least one drink in the previous week, compared to 48 per cent of those who were not working.

Overall, the number of people aged 16 and over who drink has been falling in recent years. Between 2005 and 2012, the proportion of men who drank alcohol in the week before being interviewed fell from 72 per cent to 64 per cent, while for women it fell from 57 per cent to 52 per cent.

The overall numbers who admit to drinking at least five days a week has also been dropping, from 22 per cent to 14 per cent among men and from 13 per cent to 9 per cent among women.

But almost a quarter of men over 65 (23 per cent) in 2012 admitted drinking frequently, as did 14 per cent of women in this age group.

Young people aged 16 to 24 were most likely to have drunk very heavily (more than 12 units for men and nine units for women) at least once during the previous week. More than a quarter (27 per cent) did so, with similar figures for men (26 per cent) and women (28 per cent).

A Department of Health spokesman said: “We are helping the NHS target harmful drinkers with measures such as increasing the use of interventions by health professionals, and introducing alcohol liaison nurses in A&E.”