Paper summary: Attitudes to alcohol

This paper presents new findings on attitudes to alcohol. The use of alcohol is part of life for a large proportion of the British public. However, there is relatively strong public support for tighter government regulation of alcohol in some areas, including the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing and strengthening drink-driving laws.

A majority of the public supports the principle of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol. Only one-quarter actively oppose the idea.

• Those who drink the most alcohol, classified as ‘increasing-risk drinkers’, are significantly less likely to support the principle of MUP than others. Less than one-third support the idea, compared with over half of ‘lower-risk drinkers’ and non drinkers.
• Nearly half of people (46%) think that MUP would be effective in reducing young people’s drinking.
• Just over one-third of people (36%) think MUP would be effective in reducing heavy drinking.

Over three-quarters of people believe that the amount of alcohol drivers are allowed to drink should be reduced. Just over one in ten (10%) disagree.

• Women (82%) are more likely than men (72%) to think that the drink-drive limit should be lowered. ‘Increasing-risk drinkers’ are slightly less likely (71%) to think that the drink-drive limit should be reduced than ‘lower-risk drinkers’ (76%) and non drinkers (85%).
• Over half (54%) disagree with the assertion that “whatever the law says, most people are safe to drive after a pint of beer”.

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