Bristol is the booziest city in England

Bristol has now joined Glasgow and Edinburgh as one of the UK’s booziest cities, according to a recent report by The Sun.

Bristol takes joint first place in the drinking league tables, with its residents knocking back the equivalent of nine pints of beer or cider or nine medium glasses of wine every week.

Some have pointed to Bristol’s high student population as an explanation for the gut-busting statistics.

Bradd Francis, Manager of student favourite The Highbury Vaults, said: “Being close to the university makes it more likely for bigger drinking habits as students are renowned for it, and definitely not short of money.”

Some suggest that changing attitudes towards drinking are to blame for Bristolians’ high alcohol consumption. With the increased popularity of alcopops and shots, locals’ and students’ drinking habits have undergone drastic changes over the past few years.

Admit it, you have a problem

The Sun’s report focuses on the number of units imbibed in Britain’s cities. Barbara O’Donnell from Alcohol Focus Scotland told the newspaper: “Around half of Scots don’t know how many units are in a pint of beer, measure of spirits or glass of wine.”

Discussing the report with Bristol undergraduates, it seems many were able to guess the units in a pint but few choose to stick to the guidelines.

One Bristol student called the current unit guidelines “ridiculous”, as they advise men not to drink more than a pint and a half of beer a day.

But perhaps Bristol’s new title isn’t such a bad thing.

Highbury Vaults Manager Bradd adds,  “It’s good to have a vibrant city which attracts tourists from all over the world and without the drinking culture we wouldn’t have the Bristol we love.”