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Action on alcohol misuse
05/02/2012
A new ‘drinking time machine’ smart phone app has been developed to show people the shocking affects of regularly drinking too much.
Part of the Scottish Government’s new Alcohol Behaviour Change campaign, which launches on Monday, the app is available free for one month and will show users how alcohol speeds up the ageing process.
Figures in the Scottish Health Survey show that around 38 per cent of women regularly exceed daily and/or weekly sensible drinking guidelines. It is possible for a woman to exceed the weekly guidelines for less than £3.
Drinking too much can cause a range of issues including poor skin, brittle hair and nails, disrupted sleep and poor mental health. Over the longer term it can also lead to more serious health problems such as an increased risk of high blood pressure, chronic liver disease and breast cancer. It is estimated that 1 in 30 female deaths in Scotland is alcohol-related.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
“Everyone by now is aware that bold action is needed to tackle Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol. The impact of our consumption is estimated to cost Scots £3.56 billion each year. That’s £900 for every adult.
“With Scots drinking more than any other part of the UK, this campaign aims to encourage adults in Scotland, particularly women, to recognise how much they are actually drinking and to help them make small changes to the way they drink which can improve their health and well-being.
“Whilst encouraging people to make better choices about their alcohol consumption are important, I still believe there is more that can be done and that is why I will continue to press the case for minimum pricing. Doctors, nurses, the police, academics and politicians, as well as growing numbers of the general population, have now recognised the harm that alcohol is doing to our communities and the benefit minimum pricing will bring – saving lives and reducing crime.”
Auriole Price designer of the smart phone app added:
“Working with the Scottish Government to launch the first ever app will help to show people how they will look if they drink too much alcohol. The main aim of the app is to shock people into drinking just a little bit less. We are appealing to people’s vanity as the effects of alcohol can include red broken veins on the cheeks, bloodshot eyes, a bloated face and deeper wrinkles.”
The Alcohol Behaviour Change campaign will launch on Tuesday. The campaign launches as the Cabinet Secretary for Health Nicola Sturgeon travels to Brussels to meet with the European Commissioner for Health John Dalli and Scottish MEPs to discuss minimum alcohol pricing.
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