TWO in five adults in Scotland have been negatively affected by someone else’s drinking, a report has found.
Drinkaware, the UK’s leading alcohol charity, carried out its annual report which aims to provide an insight into the drinking habits of adults in the UK.
The research focused on the harm alcohol can have on others.
A total of 41% of adults reported that they had been negatively impacted by another’s drinking and relationship with alcohol.
Ways in which respondents had been negatively impacted ranged from being kept awake due to noise and disruption, feeling uncomfortable at social events, being let down, feeling emotionally hurt or neglected and getting into serious arguments.
The report also showed that the number of people concerned about the drinking habits of someone close to them has risen in the past year.
In the past 12 months, 27% of adults reported feeling concerned about someone else’s alcohol intake. This is 10% more than in 2021 when 17% of survey adults reported feeling concerned.
The pandemic is likely to have played a part in the figures, with an increase in the number of people drinking more as well as drinking alone instead of at social occasions.
Annabelle Bonus, research director at Drinkaware, said: “People are starting to get together again now that lockdowns are all over – and are starting to notice changes in their friends, family and colleagues. Also, now that pubs and restaurants are open again, people are socialising more and it's just a lot more visible than back in 2021.
“We’re hoping to bring awareness to the impact that drinking can have on people – not just the individual but on the people around them – and we want to encourage anyone who is concerned about their drinking or someone that they love, to visit our website.”
Campaigners are pushing for more to be done.
Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “There is a polarisation in how people’s drinking has changed during and since the pandemic, and Scotland continues to have alcohol consumption at levels that put people's health at risk, and this begins to affect their relationships and their social interactions
“We need the Scottish Government to recognise that there is a public health emergency in relation to alcohol-related harm. We’re not seeing an emergency response that’s proportionate to the problem that we’re experiencing. And we’re likely to continue to see it get worse”
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