Over-30s urged to cut back on alcohol over Christmas

Published on Thursday 20 December 2007 09:48

PEOPLE over the age of 30 are being warned to limit the amount of alcohol they drink over Christmas.

A new survey shows the older age group is worse than younger people at knowing when to stop indulging.

A YouGov survey revealed that almost half of people in the 30 to 50-year-old age bracket had not learned how to maintain a drinking limit and at times drank too much.

About one-third of the older drinkers questioned said that over-indulging had ruined a night out in the past 12 months.

Nearly half admitted that they hadn't learnt how to be self-controlled and stick to the recommended number of drinks.

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said the survey revealed that binge drinking was not just a problem to be ascribed to younger generations, but was in fact a bigger problem for older people because of ageing bodies.

"Many people underestimate the amount of units they are drinking," he said.

"People over 30 should be aware that their body is less likely to cope with the after-effects of alcohol. They should think carefully about the weekly amount they are drinking and stick to the safe limits."