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.”