Judge your drinking by checking your bin
10 Nov 2008
As part of its national public education campaign, “Alcohol: how much is too much?” The Drinkaware Trust, an independent UK charity that aims to reduce alcohol harm, has turned its focus on Northern Ireland.
With more and more people choosing to drink in the comfort of their own home the campaign is encouraging people to access their drinking habits by either looking at their recycling bins or how often they visit a bottle bank.
Derek Lewis, Chairman of The Drinkaware Trust, 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. 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. ”
Recent NI statistics reveal that, even though it appears that Northern Ireland is behind the rest of the UK regarding alcohol related deaths, since 1991 there has been an increase of over 75% alcoholic related deaths.**
Research has also revealed that nationally 81% of the population is still unaware of the recommended unit guideline. *** Meanwhile in Northern Ireland:
- 20% 18 + males drink 21-49 units a week
- 10% 18 + females drink 14-34 units a week
- 14% all persons drink 21-49/14-34 units a week****
Derek Lewis further added: “You can still enjoy drinking at home but what our campaign is saying is reflect on your intake in relation to the government’s recommended unit guideline – 2-3 units a day for women ( a 175ml glass of wine) and 3-4 units a day for men (2 pints of lager). 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.”
The Drinkaware Trust’s campaign has been rolled out across
ENDS
Further media enquires:
Rachael Harriott
Tel: 028 9072 7903
e-mail: rachael@juiceconsumerpr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Sources
** Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Registrar General Northern Ireland Annual Report 2006, Belfast 2007.
***YouGov survey commissioned by Drinkaware, June 2008 (sample size: 2000)
**** Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, Continuous Household Survey, Belfast: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Images and Interviews
1. Images of the campaign are available on request
2. Derek Lewis, Chairman of the Drinkaware Trust is available for interview
About the Drinkaware Trust:
- The Drinkaware Trust is an independent UK charity that aims to reduce alcohol misuse and minimise alcohol-related harm by providing people with practical advice and information. It fulfils a challenge set by Government in the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for an industry-supported fund to provide education, information and campaigning activity for consumers.
- The Drinkaware Trust was established following a Memorandum of Understanding signed by UK ministers and the Portman Group. This enabled the Portman Group’s former campaigning arm – called The Drinkaware Trust – to be transformed into the new independent charity. The Drinkaware Trust is consumer-facing, while the Portman Group now focuses on industry regulation.
- The Drinkaware Trust is supported by voluntary donations from across the alcohol drinks industry, including producers, pub companies and retailers. The aim is to secure an annual budget of at least £5 million from as broad a base of support as possible.
- Drinkaware.co.uk is the UK’s leading online alcohol information portal. It features an interactive unit calculator that can accurately assess unit intake per session, a drinks diary, a self assessment test, and numerous useful hints and tips. No matter your age, situation or stage of life, drinkaware.co.uk can provide you with all the information you need to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly.
- Page last updated by
- Root User, 19 Apr 2010.
Key information about Drinkaware
Drinkaware aims to change the UK’s drinking habits for the better. We promote responsible drinking and find innovative ways to challenge the national drinking culture and tackle alcohol misuse.
An independent charity, we are supported by voluntary donations from across the drink’s industry to equip people with the knowledge they need to make decisions about how much they drink.
We also work with organisations and individuals across the UK, providing accessible information about alcohol and its effects to employers, young people, teachers, parents and community workers. Using a range of mediums, such as film, multimedia and TV, we help dispel myths and present the honest facts about alcohol.
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