Six out of ten want health warnings on drink

Published: 24 May, 2010

Six out of ten UK adults think that alcohol packaging should contain cigarette style health warnings , according to a new YouGov SixthSense report.

Six out of ten UK adults think that alcohol packaging should contain cigarette style health warnings, according to a new YouGov SixthSense report.

It says attitudes towards drinking have changed in accordance with a new societal emphasis on health and fitness - 33% of those surveyed say they have cut down on their alcohol consumption in the past year and a further 10% have given up alcohol completely.

Although 95% of respondents believe that a drink from 'time to time' does not hurt, almost half (44%) of those asked agreed that alcohol is bad for your health.

Yet despite the health concerns, alcohol is unlikely to be deposed as the modern 'drug of choice', as 43% say they still drink as much as they always have.

In addition the report reveals that people are more are likely to buy their alcohol in supermarkets to drink at home and has shown an increased market share of 3% and fall by the same amount in on-trade over the past ten years.

There has also been a change in the hospitality industry, with the role of the traditional pub giving way to a new 'continental' model. The 'watering hole' image of the British pub has been emphatically challenged by the emergence of gastropubs and restaurants that offer a holistic eating and drinking experience.

James McCoy, research director for YouGov SixthSense, said, "The on-trade model for selling alcohol in the UK has steadily shifted away from the old boozer, dominated by beer drunk in long 'sessions' and towards the modern pub-restaurant, often sharing characteristics with the continental café or brasserie."

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