The industry funded alcohol education charity Drinkaware has launched a new campaign targeting middle aged men who drink at home, following previous work identifying middle aged people as the nation's 'hidden risky drinkers'.
Drinkaware say the Have a little less, feel a lot better campaign aims to help men aged 45-64 make better choices about their drinking by understanding that drinking even a little less each day can benefit their health. Targeting men in the Midlands, the North of England, Scotland and Wales, it will use advertising, video content and an online tool to 'help this audience understand how alcohol can affect the body and provide simple steps to support them to reduce their drinking'.
The message itself is consistent with approaches to support drinkers who may be drinking at risky levels but are not yet likely to be experiencing serious health problems or dependency. Changes geared around 'cutting down' are far less likely to be dismissed than any messages that might imply the need for abstinence, although of course educational messages alone are much debated in terms of their likely effectiveness in changing behaviour.
Drinkaware have also published a number of further documents that detail the work behind the campaign, including a campaign evidence pack [pdf]. The pack details research supporting the campaign's key messages that small reductions in drinking can have positive results on:
- High blood pressure
- The amount of fat and scarring on the liver
- Mental wellbeing
- Weight gain and belly fat
A 'Midlife Male Drinking research report' [pdf] is also available, presenting findings based largely on qualitative examination of midlife men’s drinking. Following this work, a series of focus groups were established to develop and refine messages that they would find relevant and engage with, as detailed in the Middle Aged Men Campaign Development report [pdf].
Drinkaware Monitor 2015
Drinkaware have also recently released results from its 2015 Monitor survey, based on 2,303 UK adults aged 18-75. The survey aims to examine drinking patterns and behaviours, attitudes towards alcohol and experiences of cutting down or attempting to cut down.
Drinkaware's press release focused on the report's findings around attempts to cut down, with one in five of UK drinkers currently cutting down (9%) or thinking about it (11%). However 56% of those who are currently trying to cut down say they are not looking for help with their goal. Fourteen per cent state they are talking to their GPs or nurse about it; with one in ten (10%) seeking help and support from those close to them, and 5% saying they have joined a support group.
The updated report identifies that 30% of all adults are consuming in excess of the updated weekly guidelines versus 25% who drink above the previous daily guideline amounts; notable given question marks over how the change in guidelines affects such figures and related research and policy.
The report also identifies that compared to last year, a marginal shift in the proportion of drinkers who perceive themselves to be drinking 'generally within the recommended limits' or at levels considered ‘safe’ can be seen; three quarters (75%) say they do so in the 2015 report, compared to 72% in 2014. For those who were identified as drinking at risky or harmful levels based on an AUDIT assessment score, 45% thought that they generally drink within safe limits - up on the 37% in the 2014 Monitor. However an attitudinal improvement may be taken from a greater proportion agreeing with the statement ‘I don’t have to get drunk to have a good night out’; 82% agreed in 2015 vs. 78% in 2014.
Interestingly, when asked to identify any options they had used to help them to assess how much they drank, 84% did not identify any from a list. However 5% of respondents had spoken to a GP/nurse, and 5% also identified having taken a 'test or quiz'. This appears consistent with UCL research findings identifying a similar proportion of people who recalled being invited to have an alcohol conversation in Primary Care, but far lower than those invited to discuss smoking.
Monitor Vs HSE Vs GLF...
Keeping up with the various alcohol survey data and reporting may not be the easiest of tasks. The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN), HCSIC, Health Survey England and the General Lifestyle Survey all report drinking data. Despite this, the Monitor survey report contains some insights that may be considered unique and of interest to those seeking to understand or affect drinking behaviours.
Some public health academics though might argue that such insight and activity is a distraction from the need to address issues of price, marketing and availability. Either way, efforts to reach and inform drinkers of the risks or benefits associated with various drinking levels will continue, and understanding what drinkers may be more or less likely to respond to is important if any effect is to be achieved. What must also be remembered though is that drinking occasions and various surrounding drinking cultures are complex, as recent Sheffield research informed us.
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