Mistletoe and whine: stats show almost half of Lancashire couples argue over who's the designated driver

With the Christmas party season in full swing, new research shows almost half of couples in Lancashire (40%) argue over who will do the driving on a night out, but not for the reason you think...
More and more couples are arguing over who gets to be the designated driver.More and more couples are arguing over who gets to be the designated driver.
More and more couples are arguing over who gets to be the designated driver.

Rather than looking to over-indulge, one in five drivers actually want to take the wheel because it's a good way to stop people pressuring them to drink while a fifth say they use driving as a way to get out of events early.

Possibly inundated with invites to boozy get-togethers, 65% of 18-24 year olds fall out over who gets to be the designated driver, leading one in six of them to come up with a rota to make sure that everything is fair. Other solutions include tossing a coin (18%).

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Despite our reputation as a nation of binge-drinkers, more people are turned off drinking than ever, with alcohol abstinence rates among 16-24 year-olds rising from 10% to nearly 25% between 2001 and 2016. Dry January and Stoptober have also grown in popularity, while it's not just younger people giving up a drink: one in five 55-year-olds forego booze for health reasons.

“Drinking rates are at the lowest in 18 years which means more than ever, people are looking for alternatives to alcohol," said Dan Harwood, Head of Wine Education for Halewood Wines & Spirits, which manufactures Eisberg Alcohol Free Wine. "What was previously seen as something only for designated drivers or pregnant women has now developed into a popular lifestyle choice."

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