Campaign targets drinkers in their homes

Monday, 20 October 2008

The Drinkaware Trust charity has today (Monday) launched a new public education campaign to raise consumers' awareness of their drinking habits by highlighting how often they fill their recycling bins or visit bottle banks.

Derek Lewis, chairman of Drinkaware, said: "Drinking in the home can lull us into a false sense of security because we simply fail to take note of the amount we consume. But the reality is that many people are unwittingly at risk from the long-term health problems associated with drinking too much alcohol.

"With this campaign, we're encouraging everyone to use the evidence of the cans and bottles in their recycling bins to gauge whether or not they're overdoing it. We hope this new approach to an old problem will alert many people to the risks involved with their current alcohol consumption."

The £1m ‘Alcohol: how much is too much?' campaign invites drinkers to look at their own alcohol intake in relation to the Government's recommended unit guidelines. It will run in selected cities around the UK with advertising on display in train stations, on bus sides and in outdoor locations.

Dr Michael Wilks, president of the Standing Committee of European Doctors, said the campaign was an important step in changing our approach towards drinking. "There is a tipping point - if you're regularly drinking 35-50 units a week - then you're at risk of irreversible damage to your health and chronic disease," said Wilks.

"Our advice is simple: Stick to the Government's recommended unit guidelines of two to three units a day for women and three to four units a day for men and you can still enjoy drinking without putting your health at risk."

Prof Ian Gilmore, alcohol specialist and President of the Royal College of Physicians, said he supported Drinkaware's approach to tackling the issue of alcohol misuse, especially in the home. He said: "All too often, a person's drinking gradually escalates to the point of causing long-term damage without them even being aware of it."

To coincide with the launch of the campaign, Drinkaware has re-vamped its website, www.drinkaware.co.uk, which now offers clinician-reviewed health fact sheets, lifestyle features, and a new ‘drinks diary' and units calculator.

Mike Dennis