Binge drinking linked to dementia

Research published in the British Journal of Psychiatrty links excessive drinking with loss of brain tissue. Doctors Susan Gupta and James Warner warn that people are now drinking almost double what they did in the 1960s and say that cheaper alcohol may be the cause. They also say that binge drinking is particularly associated with a higher risk of dementia.

Annual alcohol consumption has risen from six litres per head to more than 11 litres per head in Britain, with most drinking taking place over the weekend. According to the authors of the study, alcohol consumption in Britain exceeds that elsewhere in Europe.