New reports reveal that people are drinking less alcohol in the U.K. compared to the rest of the world. Global alcohol consumption has increased 70% in less than 20 years, but ours has dropped from 12.6 litres a year of pure alcohol per adult in 1990, to 11.4 litres in 2014, a decrease of almost 10%.

Here, a standard drink is 8 grams of pure alcohol. A measure of 5.9 litres is equivalent to 1 and a half U.K standard drinks per day. And, more than one in seven abstained from alcohol in 2017, 3 in 4 drunk it, and more than 1 in 4 were binge drinking at least once a month.

However, campaigners have warned that four out of five people in the U.K. are still not getting the treatment they need, as calls are made for more help to be available.

The Basement Recovery Project is an independent, self-help, charitable organisation based in Calderdale and Kirklees. They offer support and inspiration to those involved with alcohol or substance misuse, and give people the opportunity of a new sustained lifestyle, helping with the recovery from addiction. Globally, some 237 million men and 46 million women suffer from alcohol-related disorders, with the highest rates being in Europe.

Aidan, a recovering alcoholic, and a volunteer at the Huddersfield Centre discusses why people decide to drink, “It could be lots of things. It could be part of their culture, it could be nature or nurture. It could maybe come from a family or a certain social set where it’s regarded as normal/ They could have issues with depression, or things happening in their marriage, relationship or family and friends. Some people don’t realise an issue, and then they come to a tipping point and realise that they’ve got to address the problem.”

Predictions worldwide for 2030 include half of all adults worldwide drinking alcohol, and almost a quarter binge drinking at least once a month, according to projections covering 189 countries. On the other hand, the U.K. will be the opposite, with it supposedly falling even further to almost 11 litres per year per adult.