• Two-thirds of adult drinkers (66%), an estimated 30 million people, have never been asked to check their drinking

• Drinkaware launches a nationwide campaign to get people to check their drinking

• Alcohol Awareness Week runs from 1 – 7 July 2024

Drinkaware is kicking off a nationwide campaign today (Thursday 4 July) during Alcohol Awareness Week, to encourage people to take the free Drinkaware Drinking Check and ensure they are not putting their health at risk.

Drinkaware’s research showed that two-thirds (66%) of adult drinkers in the UK, an estimated 30 million people, have never been asked to check their drinking. Taking the Drinking Check on Drinkaware’s website is a quick and easy way to understand how alcohol may be impacting your health. It also provides advice on how to have a healthier relationship with alcohol.

The Drinking Check asks you questions about your drinking and tells you what your drinking habits mean for your health. Studies have shown that it can effectively identify people with risky drinking behaviour. Regularly taking the Drinking Check can help you keep track of your drinking and stay within the Chief Medical Officer’s low risk guidelines of 14 units a week.

Karen Tyrell, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, said:

"We are used to regularly checking our eyesight or going to the dentist, so we should be doing the same for our drinking. Taking the Drinkaware Drinking Check is free and only takes a few minutes, you can do it in the time it takes to boil the kettle.

“It is a simple way to ensure your drinking is not putting your health at serious risk and provides advice to help you moderate and keep within the low risk drinking guidelines.

“Whether you’re thinking about having a drink to celebrate or commiserate over the next few days, why not take the Drinking Check today.”

To take the free Drinkaware Drinking Check visit: www.drinkaware.co.uk

The Drinking Check is based on the internationally recognised World Health Organisation (WHO) Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) which is used by medical professionals across the world to check the risk of alcohol-related problems, including alcohol dependence.

How does the Drinking Check work?

There are ten multiple-choice questions that cover various aspects of your alcohol use, such as:

• How many alcohol units you drink on a typical drinking day

• Whether you can stop drinking after starting, or need a drink in the morning

• Being unable to remember what happened the night before, or being injured

Your answer to each question is scored from 0-4, depending on the level of risk suggested by your response. The scores are added together to give a total score between 0-40 - the higher the score, the greater the likelihood that you are drinking in a risky or harmful way.

What do the different scores mean?

• 0 to 7 indicates lower risk

• 8 to 15 indicates increasing risk

• 16 to 19 indicates higher risk

• 20 or more indicates possible dependence

The score on any AUDIT test isn’t a diagnosis of anything by itself. Your score can suggest the presence of a potential alcohol use disorder, but a healthcare professional will be able to offer you advice that considers other factors that are relevant for you – like your age, sex and genetic factors.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Karen Tyrell, the CEO of Drinkaware, is available for interview to discuss the findings of the press release.

2. The data is taken from the 2023 Drinkaware Monitor, the annual UK wide representative survey that looks at the nation's drinking habits. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 10,473 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th - 25th July 2023. The survey was carried out online. Using data from the Office for National Statistics, the results were weighted to be representative of the UK adult population according to age, gender, social grade, region, and IMD decile.

3. Population numbers are estimated by Drinkaware based on UK population figures and a nationally representative survey by calculating the proportion of those who drink and the proportion who have been asked to complete an alcohol assessment (38 million people who drink alcohol).

4. In 2022, there were 10,048 deaths (16.6 per 100,000 people) from alcohol-specific causes registered in the UK, the highest number on record. ONS

5. Drinkaware is the UK’s leading alcohol charity which aims to reduce alcohol harm. We achieve this by providing impartial, evidence-based information, advice and practical resources; raising awareness of alcohol and its harms and working collaboratively with partners. www.drinkaware.co.uk

6. Founded in 2006 by the UK Government, the devolved administrations and the alcohol industry, Drinkaware is funded by unrestricted voluntary donations from more than 120 organisations. These include UK alcohol producers, retailers, supermarkets, venues, restaurant groups and sports associations.

7. The Chief Medical Officers' guideline for both men and women state that:

• To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

• If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it's best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days. If you have one or two heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risk of long-term illness and injury.

• The risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases the more you drink on a regular basis.

• If you wish to cut down the amount you drink, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days a week.

• If you are pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all, to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.

• Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, with the more you drink the greater the risk.

Contacts

Elizabeth Read, Senior Media & Communications Officer

Tel: 07884 513873 / Email: eread@drinkaware.co.uk

Matt Jackson, Head of Media & Communications

Tel: 07814 497908 / Email: mjackson@drinkaware.co.uk

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