Will you be taking part in Drink Free Days?
It's bad news if you enjoy a glass of vino once the kids have gone to bed, as health experts are warning middle-aged drinkers to cut down the booze.
As part of a new health campaign, Public Health England (PHE) and the Drinkaware Trust are encouraging regular drinkers to think about their weekly alcohol intake.
The Drink Free Days campaign hopes to motivate people aged 45 -65 to monitor their alcohol consumption and aim to have some two alcohol-free days each week following some shocking new research.
A spokesperson for the campaign states: 'Many of us enjoy a drink – it’s all too easy to let our drinking creep up on us.'
Obviously, there are a range of health issues linked to excessive drinking, including the risk of damaged skin. And, there are plenty of amazing health benefits of a sober month.
The campaign also reinforces the fact that high alcohol consumption has also been linked to a graver risk of developing serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and seven types of cancer.
Shockingly, a recent study published by the campaign found that life expectancy would be shortened by an average of 1.3 years for female drinkers and 1.6 years for male drinkers in their 40s, when they exceeded the guidelines in comparison to those who stuck to the recommended allowance.
Despite the warnings, however, a recent YouGov poll revealed that one in five UK adults are drinking above the low risk guidelines.
The campaign advises that the easiest way to tackle the bad habit is by 'setting yourself a target of having more drink free days every week is an easy way to drink less and reduce the risks to your health.'
In order to shift the excessive consumption of units, the campaign had provided an app which will help track how many days they have drunk alcohol.
They can then measure their own intake with how they compare to the rest of the population.
Shirley Cramer, chief executive of The Royal Society for Public Health, shared: 'Millions of adults in the UK are drinking in ways that are harmful for their health. The new campaign is a welcome and easily understandable way of starting to take control of alcohol intake.'
We don't know about you, but we'll definitely be keeping an eye on our vodka-lime-soda habits from now on.
Words by Alice-Rose Perry
