- Drinkaware research identifies a need for more support and information in relation to alcohol and health
- 63% of people said they drink alcohol at home
- Wine is the most common type of alcohol consumed in the home
Over 30,000 people have used our online Drinks Calculator since it went live in November 2016 . This tool empowers individuals to assess their drinking habits and make informed choices to improve their health and wellbeing.1 These findings are in line with recent international research that showed how 85% of people in Ireland drink alcohol at home (“pre-drink”) before a night out.
Key insights from calculator results from the past month:
- Of those drinking at home, almost 40% drink wine
- 36% drink in the pub
- 6 in 10 people who use the calculator are women
- One-quarter of people who drink at home, drink spirits
- 1 in 6 people drink beer in a pub setting
- At home, women are drinking four times more wine as men
Speaking about the findings, Dr Liam Twomey, Chief Medical Officer, Drinkaware said:
“These insights reflect what we already know, that drinking habits in Ireland have shifted in the past two decades. The reality is, if you’re drinking alcohol at home it is much harder to keep track of how much you drink and this can often lead to people exceeding the low-risk guidelines in a short space of time.2 One of the most common questions we are asked is around wine, where there are a range of different factors at play which makes it difficult to understand your true alcohol intake – the size of the glass, alcohol content, the setting. Consider this – drinking one bottle of wine every week for a month is roughly the calorie equivalent of eating over 10 cheeseburgers. This is what we need to be mindful of when drinking at home and our new Standard Drink Measure Cup will help people in these situations to know and accurately keep track.
I see it in my own general practice, people are often not aware of how much they are drinking, regardless of the setting, but this is particularly the case if alcohol is consumed at home. Simple tools like our Drinks Calculator make it easier for people to understand their drinking habits and provides an accessible way to proactively manage their own drinking.”
The Drinks Calculator results are shown in standard drinks, calories and cost. Users are also provided with the length of time it will take for the alcohol to completely leave their system. The body can process approximately one standard drink in one hour, which is crucial information for considering when it is safe to drive the following day.
Ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, Drinkaware is offering some easy changes people can make if they are drinking alcohol, especially at home:
- Alternate each drink with a glass of water to reduce the dehydration associated with alcohol
- Always use a standard drink measure: never free-pour spirits
- Never top up your wine glass – always finish one glass before refilling
- Downsize your drink by choosing lower alcohol beer and wine
- Avoid rounds – you may end up drinking more than you intended
Order a free Standard Drink Measure Cup
Dr Twomey said: “Recent research from Drinkaware highlighted a clear need for more practical support and information in relation to alcohol and health. The findings showed that the more people know about the impact drinking to excess can have on health and wellbeing, the more likely they are to proactively make positive changes to their drinking habits. Far from expecting people to consume excessive amounts of alcohol, particularly over holiday periods like Easter, we need to remove the barriers to people understanding the effects their drinking habits may be having on their health. Making small changes to how we consume alcohol can make a real difference in the short and long-term.”