Lonely pensioners are finding solace in the bottom of a glass

A new report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that pensioners are increasingly drinking more, possibly to help them to cope with loneliness. Binge drinking by young adults appears to be in decline.

The heaviest drinkers are people over the age of 45; those of working age in their 20s, 30s and early 40s are drinking the least.

It seems that pensioners are drinking much more today than they used to and are drinking almost as much students. In 2012 people over the age of 65 were the most likely to have drunk on at least five days per week.

While pensioners may be drinking as much by volume, students are still binge drinking more. People between the ages of 16 and 23 are the most likely to have drunk very heavily during the last week. This is defined as drinking more than 12 units for men and 9 units for women in one session; in contrast, only 3% of pensioners binge on alcohol.

Charles Nevin, writing in the Guardian, speculates that the main drivers of drinking are guilt, regret, and the quest for consolation. Younger people drink infrequently in social gatherings, whereas many elderly people drink daily because they have little or no social interaction with others.

The report also highlights the type of drinking that is common. The heaviest drinkers tend to prefer different beverages to moderate drinkers, being five times more likely to drink strong beers, lagers and ciders and more than twice as likely to drink spirits.

Smokers are also twice as likely to drink heavily as non-smokers; for many people smoking and drinking still go hand in hand.

It seems that elderly people are simply drinking a little every day and that for many it is a means to pass the time and cope with loneliness.