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Global Drug Survey -

The Global Drug Survey (GDS) is an independent research organization based in the UK. It's the largest drug survey in the world.

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When and where -

The GDS surveyed participants from November 2019 to February 2020, on habits of the previous 12 months. Over 110,000 people from more than 25 countries were surveyed.

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Demographics -

52% of the respondents were under 25, while 22% of the sample was aged 35 years old or older.

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Demographics -

66% of the surveyed people were male, and 87% of the sample was white.

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Sample -

38% had at least an undergraduate degree. Some 54% of the people surveyed reported going clubbing four or more times per year.

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Top 10 most used drugs -

Overall, alcohol tops the list, followed by cannabis (THC), tobacco products, MDMA, CBD cannabis products, cocaine, e-cigarettes, amphetamines, LSD, and benzodiazepines.

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What “being drunk” means -

The GDS defines being drunk as “having drunk so much that your physical and mental faculties are impaired to the point where your balance/speech was affected, you were unable to focus clearly on things and that your conversation and behaviors were very obviously different to people who know you."

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Averages -

On average, respondents reported getting drunk 21 times a year. On the other hand, 16% of respondents reported never getting drunk in the past 12 months.

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Who gets drunk more often? -

The highest rate is reported among men under 25. However, women under 25 were most likely to seek emergency medical treatment following excessive drinking.

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Which countries are getting drunk the most? -

According to the survey, English-speaking countries and Scandinavian countries get drunk more times per year when compared to other countries.

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Which countries got drunk the most -

Surveyed people in the UK got drunk 34 times in the past 12 months, with Scotland topping the ranking by 0.01% over England.

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Which countries are getting drunk the most? -

In Australia and Denmark the result is 32 times, followed by Finland, with people getting drunk an average of 28 times in the past 12 months.

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Which countries didn’t get drunk? -

On the opposite side of the spectrum we have mostly South American countries.

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Which countries didn’t get drunk? -

Argentina and Colombia reported getting drunk less than seven times a year.

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Not getting drunk at all -

The countries in which more people reported not getting drunk at all in the past 12 months include countries such as Portugal, Mexico, and Spain.

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Countries closest to the global average -

The countries more in the middle when it comes to getting drunk include Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, and Austria.

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Getting drunk and regretting it -

On average, people regretted getting drunk on 30% of occasions, with female respondents topping the list at 39%.

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Getting drunk and regretting it - behaviors -

The main behaviors that were associated with getting drunk and regretting it included “drinking too much too quickly.”

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Getting drunk and regretting it - behaviors -

Other drinking behaviors that were associated with getting drunk and regretting it included “mixing drinks” and “being with people who engage in heavy drinking.”

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Getting drunk and regretting it - behaviors -

People surveyed also reported other behaviors, such as taking other drugs at the same time, and starting to drink while in a bad mood.

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What people regret the most -

The top thing people regret when getting drunk is a bad hangover, followed by saying something they wouldn’t normally say, increased anxiety the next day, and ending up in an argument.

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What people regret the most -

Other things people regret include failure to do something important, ending up in an unwanted sexual episode, and self injury.

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How to minimize the risk of harm and increase the pleasure of drinking -

The GDS suggests drinking less, drinking more slowly, and avoiding hanging out with big drinkers.

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Recommendations -

They also suggest avoiding mixing drinks, and not mixing alcohol with other drugs.

See also: How to make plans that don’t involve alcohol

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