Less than half stuck to plans to cut down on alcohol after lockdown, survey finds

Uncertainty about Omicron ‘likely to be contributing to feelings of stress and anxiety’, charity says

A bartender pours a pint on so-called ‘Freedom Day’ in England (Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)

Just under half of those who planned to reduce their alcohol consumption once coronavirus restrictions were lifted in the UK had done so by December, a new survey suggests.

With one in five adults reporting drinking more during the pandemic, a Drinkaware survey of 9,137 people in June found that 17 per cent of those surveyed also intended to cut down on alcohol when lockdown eased.

By December, several months after the vast majority of restrictions were scrapped across the UK, 46 per cent of them had stuck to their plan, the alcohol education charity found.