Alcohol in the United Kingdom

[4] By the 8th century the consumption of alcoholic beverages had become a "staple part of the British diet among manual workers".

[4][5] During the eighteenth century, alcohol was regarded as a safe substance; its regular consumption was believed to confer health benefits and was considered vital in the country's social milieu.

The onset of the Industrial Revolution is believed to have played a role in the transmutation of societal perception due to the threat drinking posed on the new economic structure reliant on the masses working in factories.

Furthermore, excessive drinking was classified as a disease and became subject to medical research and treatments, whereas previously it had only elicited religious condemnation.

[6] Although the sale or consumption of commercial alcohol has never been prohibited by law in the United Kingdom, historically, various groups in the UK have campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol; including the Society of Friends (Quakers), The Methodist Church and other non-conformists, as well as temperance movements such as Band of Hope, temperance Chartist movements of the nineteenth century and the United Kingdom Alliance who advocated for a legal ban of alcohol.

[7] Legislation passed which had a prohibitionist agenda was the Sale of Beer Act 1854 which restricted Sunday opening hours however this was repealed following widespread rioting in conjunction, another attempt was made in 1859 with a prototype prohibition bill but this was overwhelmingly defeated in the House of Commons.

[9][11] Consumption rates for alcohol in the United Kingdom are high along the general trend of OECD nations.

[16]The United Kingdom has historically been a beer consuming country[17][18] however from the 1960's onwards wine has increased in prevalence of consumption.

Production of wine with the United Kingdom compared with recent consumption is quite low but has increased since steadfast since the 1990s.

[19] Spirits have historically since the nineteenth century, been roughly consumed at the same rate over time in the UK.

Alcohol licensing laws have changed over time and vary between constituent countries of the UK but generally remain consistent.