The majority of British drinkers do not know that binge-drinking increases the risk of suffering a stroke, campaigners said today.
Research for the Stroke Association in Britain revealed that of almost 2,000 adults, 57 per cent were likely to binge-drink over the festive season, but 60 per cent did not realise that drinking large quantities of alcohol in one sitting could lead to a stroke.
People who binge-drink - classed as having more than six units of alcohol in one night - are twice as likely to have a stroke as non-drinkers.
The survey also found that many people were not aware of recommended alcohol limits of three to four units for men and two to three for women, although three-quarters of them were underestimating how much they were allowed.
Even so, this did not stop 53 per cent of people saying they drank six units or more during an average night out. But when asked if they ever binged on alcohol, only 29 per cent said they considered themselves to be a binge-drinker.
Almost half of those questioned said they believed public awareness campaigns and education would help improve understanding of the dangers of binge-drinking, but only a third believed health warning labels on alcoholic drinks would influence their consumption.
When asked about the health effects of binge drinking, 95 per cent named liver damage and 87 per cent named dehydration, while only 40 per cent mentioned stroke.
PA