A DROP in consumer spending during the recession has led to fewer people drinking alcohol, a charity said.

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows men in the UK drank 16.3 units of alcohol a week on average in 2009, down from 17.4 in 2008, while women drank eight units a week on average, down from 9.4 in the previous year.

The figures also show a drop in the number of people dying, with 8,664 alcohol-related deaths in 2009, 367 fewer than in 2008.

However, the number of deaths is still up 26% on a decade ago.

Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: "The slight fall in 2009 in alcohol-related deaths mirrors a slight drop in alcohol consumption, and while this is positive, it is wholly due to a drop in consumer spending as a result of the recession.

"It is very likely that alcohol consumption will rise again once the economy picks up. Government alcohol policy should ensure alcohol becomes less affordable permanently, not just in an economic downturn."

The figures mirror data published last September by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which showed the sharpest year-on-year decline in alcohol consumption since 1948. Overall, there was a 6% fall in 2009 - the fourth annual drop in five years.

The ONS data also shows a continuing trend regarding middle-class drinking.

More than a third (35%) of women in professional and managerial households exceeded the recommended alcohol intake on at least one day in the week prior to interview compared with 23% of those on lower incomes.

For men, the figure was 41% in professional and managerial households, compared with 34% of men in manual jobs.