Students 'drink less' than young workers

They have a reputation for spending all their time in the pub, but a new survey suggests that students are more responsible drinkers than young adult workers.

A poll of around 1,700 young people reveals that students are more likely to drink less, and less likely to find it acceptable to end up in hospital or in trouble with the police due to alcohol.

But three in 10 students (30%) still admit to blacking out, or losing their memory after drinking too much.

The survey, commissioned by the alcohol charity Drinkaware, found that less than one in 10 (9%) of students say they drink 16 units of alcohol or more - equivalent to eight pints of beer or eight glasses of wine - on a night out, compared to one in eight (12%) of young working adults.

More than three in 10 (32%) of students say they stop drinking before they reach their personal limit, compared to just over one in four (28%) of those of a similar age who are working.

Just 3% of students thought it was acceptable to end up in hospital after drinking too much, compared to 5% of young adults who were in work.

And the same proportion of students thought it was acceptable to get into trouble with the police for anti-social behaviour due to drinking, while 7% of young adult workers said the same.

The survey did find that more than half (54%) of students admit they still drink at least double the daily limit guidelines.

The same proportions of both students and young adult workers (29%) said their friends would ridicule them if they chose to drink soft drinks on a night out.

Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: "Despite the reputation students have of drinking to excess, being at university shouldn't be seen as synonymous with being drunk. We need to challenge this stereotype and combat the acceptability of drunkenness among all young adults, whether they are a student or not.

"University is where many young adults take their first steps into adult life; living away from home and taking on greater responsibility for their future. It is also a time when many students drink to excess so this is a key time to provide them with tips and advice.

"Drinkaware has teamed up with National Union of Students (NUS) to offer the facts about alcohol and encourage students to make informed decisions about drinking."

:: The survey questioned 1,715 18-24-year-olds who were either students or in work.