Drink Free Days campaign targets middle-aged drinkers

Monday September 10th, 2018

Cutting down on drinking is more difficult than improving diet or exercise, a new YouGov poll reveals today.

As Public Health England and alcohol education charity Drinkaware jointly launches its Drink Free Days campaign, to help people cut down on the amount of alcohol they are regularly drinking, the poll found that one in five of UK adults drink more than the Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines of 14 units per week.

More than two thirds of those respondents said they would find cutting down more difficult than introducing other lifestyle changes.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure, which increases the risk of a heart attack and stroke. It’s also high in calories, which can contribute can weight gain.

“It’s easy to drink too much by having a pint or a glass or two of wine every night but taking a few days off is a simple way to help you cut down and break the habit.

“But remember, just because you have taken a few days off doesn’t mean that you can drink more than usual on the other days. Drinking large amounts of alcohol in one go can cause additional damage to your heart and body.”

The Drink Free Days aims to encourage middle-aged drinkers to take more days off from drinking as a way of reducing their health risks from alcohol.

Tags: Drug & Alcohol Abuse | Heart Health | NHS | UK News

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