Britons Switching From Tea to Coffee

London — The British, it seems, aren’t really such great tea drinkers----more of them are opting for coffee. And it’s margarine, not butter, with the scones.

And chances are there won’t be a cigarette smoked after the meal.

These tidbits were reported in the 1986 edition of the government’s Social Trends publication, which purports to record “the changing face of British society.”

Since 1961, says Social trends, tea consumption in Britain has fallen nearly 40% while coffee has trebled in popularity.

And the British are using less than half as much butter as they were 25 years ago. margarine is “in” ----up by 25%.

Smoking is “out,” with 36% of the men and 32% of the women still puffing away down from 52% and 42%, respectively, in 1972.

Bathing also is more popular these days. In 1951, only 62% of British homes had tubs or showers. Today, it’s 98%.