Boozy British ladies are fuelling an enormous rise in binge ingesting, examine finds

Boozy ladettes are fuelling a huge rise in binge drinking – with experts warning many are drinking themselves to death.

‌The number of binge drinkers in the UK rose by 13% between 2016 and 2019, according to research by the World Health Organisation.

‌“Women drove the increase, with the number of heavy drinkers rising by 57%, from 13.8% of all women in 2016 to 21.7% three years later.”

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In 2016, 13.8% of women in the general population reported heavy episodic drinking, which rose to 21.7% by 2019.



The number of binge drinkers in the UK rose by 13% between 2016 and 2019 (stock)
(Image: Getty Images)

Heavy episodic drinking means consuming 60g or more of alcohol – the equivalent of 7.5 units – on at least one occasion in the past 30 days.

‌That is the same as drinking just over three pints of medium-strength beer, or five small glasses of wine, or around seven single gin and tonics.

‌Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said: “Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year.”



Women drove the increase according to the World Health Organisation (stock)
(Image: Getty Images)

Charities have called for preventative measures such as minimum pricing to be introduced.

‌Dr Richard Piper, the chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: “The health harms caused by alcohol are affecting tens of thousands of people every year and the heart-breaking thing is that this is totally avoidable.

‌“That’s why it’s so important to put preventive measures in place to stop the harm before it happens.”



Charities have called for minimum alcohol pricing to be introduced (stock)
(Image: Getty Images)

The WHO report only captures drinking behaviours until 2019, with experts warning the post pandemic figures will be much worse.

‌Official figures showed there was a 33% increase in deaths from alcohol, with 10,048 people dying from alcohol-specific causes in 2022. That’s the highest annual total since records began in 2001, and is a sharp increase from the pre-pandemic figures.

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World Health Organisation