Britons Are Trading Drugs And Alcohol For Food And Leisure

A survey done by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that Britons are spending more money on restaurants and hotels than drugs and alcohol.

For the first time since 2001 the amount spent on tobacco, narcotics and alcohol has fallen below £12 a week. The survey showed that households tend to spend £45 a week on restaurants.

This shift in household spending is due to the decline in smokers, a higher income and higher rates of employment. However, families are still spending less than in 2007 which shows that people are still recovering from the financial crisis.

However, while the survey looks at families it excludes young people who aren’t settled down yet. “I’d say definitely going out. Most of my money goes towards food and alcohol. I don’t smoke so that saves me a lot but yes, definitely going out and food. And also my travelcard. That ends up costing me quite a bit as well,” says 22-year-old Alberto Pelle.

Transport seems to be the biggest weekly cost for most households in the UK. Families spend 14% of their total spending on it, followed by housing and rent.

The ONS tracked the spending habits of 5000 households over a two week period to get a better insight. Previous ONS surveys showed that people spent more on sugary and fat products such as biscuits, sweets and whole fat milk instead of low fat.

24-year-old nutritionist postgraduate Megan Holt explains why people often opt for fast food instead of healthy meals. “The main reason is convenience. We can’t argue that cooking at home takes more time than grabbing a quick take away or burger on the way home.”

Making a nutritious meal at home takes time to prepare and often costs more as well. Buying organic vegetables or biological meat is more expensive than other products. This can turn consumers away from those products and towards less healthy and environment friendly ingredients.

Over time people can become more and more dependent on the fast foods they choose. Studies have shown that binge eating on sugary and fatty products leads to neurochemical changes in the brain. These changes also occur to people who develop a drug addiction. Quitting these types of food is also similar to quitting vices such as drugs and tobacco where you experience withdrawal symptoms. People can become addicted to junk food which makes it even harder to switch to a healthier lifestyle.

“People often associate healthy eating to just vegetables with no taste. The trick is to change the menu every now and again. There are loads of great recipes out there which are both healthy and taste good. It does cost more than a burger at McDonald's but in the long run it’s so much better for you in so many ways,” says Holt.

Read the full ONS rapport at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/expenditure/bulletins/familyspendingintheuk/financialyearendingmarch2016