Hangovers mean you'll be writing off nearly a year of your life feeling ill

A cancer charity is urging Scots to rethink their alcohol intake as figures show the average person in the UK will spend nearly an entire year nursing hangovers.

Macmillan Cancer Support estimated that drinkers spend a total of 315 days feeling ill after a booze binge, nursing sore heads, upset stomachs and spending at least a day in bed.

The charity surveyed 2,000 British adults and found there was a north-south divide with hangovers.

If hangovers are a big part of your life then you might want to seek help before it becomes a far bigger problem - Pierce Martin

It said 22% of people from the north – encompassing north England and all of Scotland - were likely to have more than four hangovers each month, compared to 15% in the south.

The survey found that women’s hangovers tend to last nine hours while men’s lasted for seven.

Some 40% said they would exercise more - if only they could drag ourselves out of bed instead of being hungover.

One in 13 of those questioned said they had missed a first date because of alcohol-induced illness. One in 10 had missed a job interview.

Hannah Redmond, of Macmillan, said: “This research shows hangovers are a waste of time and are causing people to miss out on everything from romance to their dream job.”

Recovery Net, a self-help forum helping people with alcohol and addiction issues, said alcohol remained the biggest health issue in Scotland.

Pierce Martin, co-ordinator, said hangovers were just the tip of the iceberg.

“I think we socialise alcohol to the extent that excessive drinking and hangovers are accepted norms,” he said. “My advice is if hangovers are a big part of your life then you might want to seek help before it becomes a far bigger problem.”

It comes as Macmillan launched its Go Sober for October campaign for 2014 asking fundraisers to get family and friends to sponsor them for going on the wagon for the month.