Surprise! Beer campaign group says drinking beer makes you happier
Going to the pub makes you happier, this according to a new study by Oxford University – which was carried out for… The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).
People who regularly go to their local are significantly happier, more trusting, have more friends and a better quality of life, according to the study:
People who said they have a "local" have more close friends on whom they can depend for support, are more satisfied with their lives and feel more embedded in their local communities than those who said they do not have a local pub.
The pub offers an enriching environment where we have the opportunity to meet a greater diversity of people from all walks of life than we might otherwise be able to do.
The report, by Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, emphasises the importance of a local pub, where people are part of a community, and more likely to drink in moderation.
Dunbar said: "A limited alcohol intake improves wellbeing and some social skills, just as it has been shown to improve other cognitive abilities and health, but these abilities decline as alcohol intake increases beyond a moderate level."
The study found that the smaller the pub, the less alcohol you consume, and the longer your conversations are. It also reported that going to the pub and meeting people makes us feel happier than staying at home watching TV, or socialising online apparently.
Tim Page, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale said:
While we are delighted that such robust research highlights some of the many benefits of visiting a pub, I hardly expect the findings will be a great surprise to Camra members.
Pubs offer a social environment to enjoy a drink with friends in a responsible, supervised community setting. The role of community pubs in ensuring that wellbeing cannot be overstated. For that reason, we all need to do what we can to ensure that everyone has a ‘local’ near to where they live or work.
The report called for the government and council planners to keep pubs open and accessible to people around the country, as they offer a vital service in allowing people to meet up and interact in person.
If you needed an excuse to meet for drinks this evening, now you have it…