• 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.