00:01People are wanting to be more in control of how they drink and make their own choices
00:08about it. So one of the interesting bits of data that comes out of the research is that
00:13over 60% say how important it is for them to make their own choices and to be self-directed
00:19if you like about how they go out and enjoy alcohol as they socialise.
00:24Alcohol remains part of many social occasions from informal gatherings to larger celebrations
00:31but there are signs that behaviour is shifting. More people say they are paying closer attention
00:36to how much they drink and how it fits into their routine. That includes making deliberate
00:41choices about timing, quantity and drink type rather than following habitual social patterns.
00:47Cost is part of behaviour change but it doesn't define it. This intentionality is the thing
00:54that comes through as strongly or even more strongly and this idea about moderation and
00:59having a balanced approach is something that comes across in all of the data.
01:04And there is now more choice. I mean 10, 15 years ago non-alcoholic beers were not really
01:11a great consumer option but the innovations really come a huge way now and you can go out
01:17and get a fantastic zero-alcohol Guinness or beer. You can have a zero-alcohol mocktail
01:24and they are nice things to consume. They remind people of their beer of choice but they are
01:32a zero-alcohol option. So it allows people to stay out longer, to drink more moderately,
01:37to be more intentional. It gives people more choice and I think that's been one of the reasons
01:41why you have really seen that particular category really expand in the last few years.
01:46Survey data suggests nearly 9 in 10 adults still expect to drink at social events but attitudes
01:52to how that happens are changing. Around half say moderation is now an important factor
01:56when socialising. Many describe wanting greater control over their drinking rather than keeping
02:02pace with others or joining rounds. Practical steps are also becoming more common including pacing
02:07drinks, eating while drinking and switching to low or no alcohol alternatives. Public health
02:13guidance has long advised limiting alcohol intake with current recommendations suggesting
02:17no more than 14 units a week spread over several days.
02:21You've seen the statistics of drink driving deaths and accidents coming right down across
02:27the country which is a really good trend. You've seen the data on underage drinking
02:32and binge drinking coming down as well. So these are long-term trends. It is a cultural shift
02:38and it's a cultural shift towards more flexible and more flexible lifestyle, one where there's
02:44more personal choice. These are positive things. I don't think we're seeing alcohol being eliminated
02:53from the British lifestyle or British social events or the pub or celebrating football or whatever
02:58it may be. But as we saw in the Euros a couple of years ago, even the football fans are
03:05going out
03:06and they're drinking in moderation. They're alternating with non-alcoholic beers. This is one of the stories
03:10out of the Euros a couple of years ago. So these trends are taking place right across British society
03:17including in the places that may have been more famous for a different type of drinking a couple of decades
03:22ago.
03:23Drinking patterns also vary across different groups. Younger adults are generally more likely to
03:28moderate or avoid alcohol with rising interest in low and no alcohol options, while older age groups
03:34are more likely to drink regularly but often at lower levels. Men on average continue to consume
03:40more alcohol than women, though the gap has narrowed in recent years.
03:44So all the data shows that the famous Gen Z are the most intentional of all and they've been sort
03:49of leading the way
03:50in terms of new types of, I suppose, drinking patterns. There's been a big debate about whether Gen Z drink
03:59or are stopping drinking. The data coming through shows that they are drinking, but they do it differently.
04:05So they have been leading trends like zebra striping, for example, where people go out and they will have maybe
04:12a beer,
04:12but then they will alternate it with one of these new non-alcoholic beers that are coming out so people
04:18can stay out for longer,
04:20drink more moderately. They're also leading something known as competitive socialising,
04:25which is where people are sort of thinking more about the occasion and about the experience
04:30and where drinking complements that but doesn't define it. You know, from table tennis to quizzes to crazy golf
04:36as that type of themed type of experience, drinking is part of it, but it doesn't define it.
04:42And Gen Z, particularly the younger generation, are very much leading the way on that.
04:46Overall, the findings suggest drinking habits are changing gradually rather than disappearing.
04:51More people appear to be focusing on how much they drink and the pace rather than cutting alcohol out completely.
04:57Health experts continue to highlight the risks linked to higher levels of consumption,
05:02while industry groups point to growing choice and clearer information.
05:06Taken together, it points to a slow shift in behaviour
05:09as people balance social occasions with personal wellbeing.
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