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Drinkaware: Three in four Britons plan to moderate their drinking over Christmas

Celebrating Christmas holidays, toasting with champagne

A new survey from Drinkaware reveals the nation’s drinking intentions over the festive period

Photo: iStock
Kiran Paul
By Kiran PaulDec 19, 2025
Kiran Paul
With a background that spans both the agility of startup environments and the established presence of Asian Media Group, Kiran tries to bring a well-rounded perspective to his work. His career as a journalist began at a dynamic news startup, where he honed his reporting and storytelling skills for five years, gaining valuable experience in a fast-paced and evolving media landscape. Since 2018, he has been contributing to Asian Trader, where a standout feature of his work has been his in-depth interviews with award-winning retailers, which he transforms into insightful profiles that appear in each issue.
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Nearly three in four (73 per cent) UK adult drinkers intend to moderate their drinking over the festive period, according to a new survey by Drinkaware, published on Thursday.

Taking drink-free days emerged as the most popular way to cut back (21 per cent), followed by setting a drink limit (19 per cent), and alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or water (18 per cent).

“With nearly three in four of us planning ahead this Christmas, this balanced approach to our festive fun is great to see,” Karen Tyrell, CEO of the charity, said.

“With a few simple tips we can enjoy our favourite Christmas tipples with our friends and family without taking it to excess. A good first step is understanding your own drinking habits, something you can do by taking the Drinking Check on our website.

One in four (24 per cent) stated that they weren’t planning to moderate their drinking during the festive period. For those drinking over the guidelines who aren’t planning to moderate, Drinkaware shared its five top tips to enjoy their Christmas tipple without over doing it.

  • Set a limit: To keep your risk of alcohol harm low, it’s important to set a limit. The advice is the same for men and women: drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread over three or more days with several drink-free days and no bingeing. This is roughly equivalent to six standard glasses of wine (13% ABV) or six pints of beer (4% ABV). One standard serving of spirits equals one unit of alcohol.
  • Try zebra striping: Experiment with no and low-alcohol or soft drinks by alternating them with regular strength alcoholic drinks. There are now more options available than ever, from alcohol-free spirits, wines and beers to festive alcohol-free mocktails.
  • Ask for support when cutting down: Let your friends and family know that you’re planning to moderate your drinking this Christmas. Having a supportive loved one that knows you’re moderating your drinking can make a big difference.
  • Eat before drinking: Having a nutritious meal before heading out or starting to drink can help slow down alcohol absorption.
  • Track your drinking: Keep an eye on how much you’re drinking with the free MyDrinkaware app . It helps you calculate your units, set goals, and measure your progress over time.

“Sticking to the chief medical officers’ guidelines of no more than 14 units a week including some drink-free days can make a big difference. Asking friends and family for support can help you stick to any plan you set, while the growing range of low and no alcohol options also makes it easier to swap out some drinks on a night out,” Tyrell added.

Encouragingly, two in five drinkers (43 per cent) intend to cut back in the New Year. The most popular approach is to take a complete break for a period of time (27 per cent), followed by drink-free days or keeping alcohol out of the house (24 per cent).

drinkaware new year festive drinks

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