Research carried out by insurance company Confused.com has revealed an alarming number of skiers are drinking to excess before heading out onto the slopes.

Twenty four percent of skiers admitted to drinking more than four units, equivalent to more than two pints or two glasses of wine, before skiing. One in four skiers said that they have been affected by drunken skiers, these included people either admitting to have fallen over in the resort after après ski, falling on the slopes or being hit by a skier who had been drinking.

The research also reveals that there are two groups most likely to indulge in drinking before skiing: men – of which thirty five percent admitted to drinking heavily and regularly on skiing holidays, and skiers aged 31-35, with over one in four drinking more than two glasses of wine before hitting the slopes.

Almost as much cause for concern is that 41% of the over 30’s believe that their holiday insurance will cover them if they have an accident caused while skiing under the influence.

Confused.com also report that one in ten people have noticed an increase in aggression between skiers and those on the slopes who have been drinking, and twenty percent have noticed that there are more people on the slopes than previous seasons.

Such research backs up the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices’ decision to launch a new initiative to raise awareness amongst skiers of the dangers of alcohol abuse while on the ski slopes. The campaign aims to highlight the risks of drinking and skiing as well as the effects of alcohol at high altitude.

French police and rescue services, as well as airports and ski resorts in Switzerland and Italy, and TUI’s ski companies are backing the campaign which aims to encourage skiers to take out full insurance cover for skiing holidays as well as increase awareness of the affects of combing alcohol and skiing.