Health Survey for England 2019 estimated maximum alcohol consumption on any day in the last week, by sex and age group

Among adults that drank alcohol, the maximum amount of alcohol drunk on any day in the last week was 7.0 units on average (mean) using the revised conversion factors. This was higher than the estimate using the original conversion factors, which was 6.5 units. Among men that drank alcohol, the increase after applying the revised conversion factors was 0.6 units (7.7 compared with 8.3 units) and among women that drank alcohol it was 0.3 units (5.2 compared with 5.5 units). These differences were higher among men than women and varied by age, having a smaller impact among the oldest age groups.

Among adults who drank alcohol, the proportion who drank more than three units (women) or four units (men) on any day in the last week was higher using the revised conversion factors (63%), than with the original conversion factors (55%). For men who drank alcohol, 66% drank more than four units on any day in the last week according to estimates using the revised conversion factors compared with 56% using the original conversion factors. For women who drank alcohol, 60% drank more than three units on any day in the last week when using the revised conversion factors compared with 54% using the original conversion factors.

For more information: Table 3

Among all adults, the revised conversion factors resulted in an increase of four percentage points in the proportion of adults drinking more than three units (women) or four units (men) on any day in the last week. The proportion of adults who drank more than three units (women) or four units (men) on any day in the last week was 30% with the original conversion factors and 34% with the revised conversion factors. Among men, the proportions were 33% and 39%, and among women were 27% and 30%, respectively.

The patterns in the maximum amount of alcohol consumed on any day in the last week by sex and age group using the revised and original conversion factors were broadly similar. With the revised conversion factors, the proportion of all adults who drank more than three units (women) or four units (men) on any day in the last week increased with age from 26% of 16 to 24 year olds to 41% of 45 to 54 year olds and then gradually decreased to 17% of adults aged 75 and over, following a similar pattern to that observed using the original conversion factors.

However, the differences in estimates of those drinking more than three units (women) or four units (men) on any day in the last week according to the revised or original conversion factors varied across age group, ranging from one to nine percentage points and was greater among men and older age groups. Among women, the difference in estimates of those drinking more than three units on any day in the last week increased with age. There was a one percentage point increase among 16 to 24 year old women and a five percentage point increase for women aged 75 and over. A similar pattern was observed for men with a three percentage point increase in the proportion of 16 to 24 year old men drinking more than four units on any day in the last week and a nine percentage point increase for men aged 65 to 74.