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Half of us resort to alcohol every day to de stressAlmost two thirds of adults in the UK are relying on an alcoholic drink in the evening to relax after a hard day at work, according to a new poll of 2,000 adults by Drinkaware.
Just under half of us (44 per cent) admit to drinking every evening and a third of us think about having a drink before we even get home.
The most common reasons given in the poll for turning to the bottle were stress and bad days at work. A third of men and almost half of women also revealed that they drank more than the NHS’s daily recommended limits. These are 2-3 units for women, which is equal to a small glass of wine, and 3-4 units for men, which is about a pint and a half of regular strength larger.
Alcohol makes it onto the weekly grocery shop for 71 per cent of respondents and 63 per cent make sure there is always alcohol at home.
"Many people use alcohol to relax but this can lead to more problems,” said Emily Robinson, from charity Alcohol Concern.
"Alcohol is also a depressant so feelings of anxiety may get worse by drinking and causing someone to feel more stressed,” she added. "What's worrying is that drinking at home regularly can be habit-forming and lead to a range of health problems that can creep up on people as well as potentially develop an addiction.”
Ms Robison also pointed out that some responsibility lies with employers, she added: “One of the findings of the research is that people are drinking following a day's work, so more needs to be done by employers to try to relieve stress at work.”
Do you indulge in a nightly tipple?
