Stress and ignorance encourage Britain's lethal booze culture

The growing threat of alcohol was laid bare yesterday with research showing that more and more men were drinking to relieve stress, with a third believing it was good for them.

The research, published yesterday, came as the West Somerset coroner, Michael Rose, called on David Blunkett to curb binge drinking. He said he would be writing to the Home Secretary demanding government action after dealing with a string of drunken deaths.

Mr Rose was speaking at the inquest into the death of a 32-year-old who lost control of his car after a night in which he paid £15 for limitless drinks at a bar. Mr Rose's concerns were compounded by American research that found those who consumed more than 100 drinks a month suffered minor brain damage including memory loss, reduced intelligence, poor balance and loss of mental agility.

The UK survey by Mintel discovered that Britain - with its £34.87bn alcoholic beverages market - is a nation of drinkers. Only 13 per cent of adults questioned said they were teetotal while 60 per cent drank at least weekly, a rise of 5 per cent in three years.

The sale of flavoured alcoholic beverages, known as alcopops, increased by about 193 per cent in five years. Beer accounted for the largest sector of the market at 30 per cent, and sales of liqueurs and sparkling wines rose by more than 90 per cent.

Only 7 per cent of adults are trying to cut down, with 30 per cent of men and 23 per cent of women saying they believed alcohol had health benefits.

More than a fifth of males said they found it an effective stress reliever with 14 per cent of females agreeing. Less than one in 10 Britons thought that alcohol was bad for their health. Two thirds said they had drunk before driving. Women were more likely than men to drink-drive.

Amanda Lintott, an analyst at Mintel, said:"It may be that men's apparent willingness to turn so readily to alcohol is indicative of their dependence on it and the centrality that alcohol has to many people's lives."

Although some medical research supports the theory that a moderate daily intake of red wine can be beneficial to the health of men - especially among the older age groups who are at greater risk from coronary heart disease - the benefits are not conclusive.

Ms Lintott added: "It may be that an element of drinkers are likely to respond to this kind of message as it rationalises their drinking and may authorise them to drink more frequently than they currently do."

Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, and Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, scanned the brains of 46 heavy social drinkers and 52 light tipplers, and found that those who consumed more than 100 drinks a month had minor brain damage, affecting their ability to do everyday tasks. "Socially functioning heavy drinkers often do not recognise their level of drinking constitutes a problem that warrants treatment," the researchers wrote.