Drinkaware launches campaign to check your drinking

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.”

James Crampton, Corporate Affairs Director of HEINEKEN UK, said:

“Alcohol Awareness Week is a time for us all to reflect on our relationships with alcohol. Our beers and ciders are already enjoyed by millions of consumers every day and therefore it makes sense to use our brand reach together with the leading alcohol education charity to help people moderate their consumption effectively.” 

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

Five Top Tips to help you moderate your drinking and keep within the Chief Medical Officer’s low risk guidelines.

1. Know the limits: The advice is the same for men and women. To keep your risk of health harms low, drink no more than 14 units of alcohol each week, spread over three or more days with several drink-free days and no bingeing.

2. Set your goals: Each week set a goal and track your progress, whether you’ve achieved your goal or not. And remember, slip ups happen so don’t beat yourself up – if you haven’t hit your goal one week, make a fresh start the day after

3. Ask for support: Having a supportive friend that knows you’re trying to cut back on your drinking can make a big difference. Tell them how important it is for you and why. 

4. Try switching to alcohol-free drinks: If you’re looking for a way to cut down on alcohol without cutting it out completely, alcohol-free or low alcohol drinks could be right for you.

5. Don’t give up! And celebrate your achievement Stick with it! More than 40% of our daily behaviours are determined by habits. And don’t forget to celebrate your achievements.

Take the Drinking Check on our website here.