Hungover Brits lost 22 hours of their summer

• Each hangover lasted on average six hours 30mins, with one in eight Brits who had suffered so far this summer admitting their most recent one dragged on for more than 12 hours
• Around a quarter (24 per cent) of Brits say a hangover stopped them from venturing outside to enjoy  good weather
• Around 279,000 Brits have missed a flight due to a hangover*
• Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of young Brits** admit they’ve missed a day out with family or friends due to a hangover
• Almost half (48 per cent) of young Brits say they tend to drink more alcohol in the summer months than in the winter months

The record temperatures earlier this summer were a chance for people to hit the beach or enjoy some alfresco dining. However with the mercury recently dropping, some Brits may regret missing out on that sunny weather, as new figures released today by Cancer Research UK’s Dryathlon® show that Brits have so far lost 22 hours of their summer to hangovers***.

Around a quarter (24 per cent) of Brits admitted the after-effects of their boozing stopped them going outside to enjoy good weather. This figure rose to 40 per cent for 18 – 34 year-olds, who were the most guilty of soaking up alcohol instead of the British sunshine.

And it’s not just the good weather young Brits have missed – 23 per cent confessed to missing a day out with family or friends at the mercy of a hangover.

Despite the so-called ‘prosecco boom’, the more run-of-the-mill drinks could have caused the biggest headache for Brits this summer. Beer topped the list as the tipple of choice for men during the summer months, closely followed by lager and cider, but a glass of white wine came out on top for women. Perhaps surprisingly, fewer than three per cent of Brits named sparkling wine – such as prosecco, champagne or cava – as their preferred drink during the summer months.

The survey, which asked 2,000 adults about their summer drinking habits, was commissioned by Cancer Research UK to mark the return of Dryathlon – the original month long dry challenge.

Dryathlon is offering a new twist for 2015 and giving people the chance to take on the challenge in September as well as January.  A chance to reclaim hangover hours whilst doing a bit of good, Dryathlon challenges people across the UK to bin the booze for a month to raise money to help beat cancer.

Anthony Newman, director of marketing at Cancer Research UK, said: “We’ve seen some record temperatures this summer, but with great weather has come the pull of the beer garden, festivals and parties – all of which often go in hand-in-hand with having a few too many. Now the sun appears to have gone in and September’s almost here, it’s the perfect time for us to claim back those summer hours lost to the dreaded hangover and take on Dryathlon. Not only will you feel bright eyed, bushy tailed and able to make the most of every minute – you’ll be raising money to help beat cancer!”

Dryathlon will be running from 1^st to 30^th September and registrations are open now at dryathlon.org. Since launching in 2013, 140,000 Dryathletes have raised £15 million for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work.

ENDS

For media enquiries contact the Cancer Research UK press office on 020 3469 8315 or, out of hours, on 07050 264 059.