"Alcohol sales under-reported by fifty per cent"

From the BBC:

The amount of alcohol consumed in England is twice as high as reported sales figures, a study has decided.

Counting units

University College London researchers multiplied the population of the UK by four units of alcohol a day to estimate total consumption and then compared the result with actual alcohol sales figures. They found there was a significant shortfall with all the "missing" alcohol unaccounted for in the sales figures given by HM Revenue & Customs.

This circular logic confirms their pre-conceived notion that everybody in the whole country is drinking above the recommended daily alcohol limit.

Ounting cunits

The experts claimed that much alcohol use went unreported, because anybody who ever touches alcohol is incapable of keeping track and is probably a pathological liar anyway. People are also in denial about their drinking problem when have sobered up. And clearly breweries, importers, distillers, retailers and hospitality sector are running rings round the tax man.