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Notes for A9

A unit is 8 grams by weight or 1cl/10ml by volume, of pure alcohol.  This is the amount contained in half a pint of ordinary strength beer or lager, a single pub measure of spirits (1/6 gill or 25 ml), a small glass of ordinary wine and a small pub measure of sherry or fortified wine.

In General Household Surveys (GHS) prior to 2000, the results have been presented as unweighted data.  However, in 2000 the decision was made by ONS to weight the data to compensate for under-representation of people in some groups (for example young men) and the results for 2000 and 2001 are provided based on weighted data only; the weighted data provide more reliable estimates than the unweighted data. Results based on weighted and unweighted data are not directly comparable.  Therefore, the results for 1998 have been presented as weighted, and as unweighted data. This gives a break in the series; to give reliable comparisons, trends up to and including 1998 must be based on unweighted data; trends for 1998 onwards (ie comparing 1998, 2000 and 2001) must be based on weighted data.

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