Alcohol education charity Drinkaware is today (Monday, 2 September) launching the next phase in its Drink Free Days campaign, designed to help mid-life drinkers to reduce their alcohol consumption.
Drinkaware’s Drink Free Days campaign will run on radio and online, targeting 40-64 year old drinkers – the group most at risk of alcohol related health harms.
In the initial phase of Drink Free Days in autumn 2018, the radio advertising reached 65% of target drinkers. A total of 335,155 people completed the DrinkCompare Calculator, over 400,000 visited the Drinkaware website for information and 25,337 users downloaded the Drinkaware app.
The new ‘No Alcoholidays’ radio and online adverts build on the Drink Free Days message in an even more memorable and engaging tone. This encourages alternative lifestyle behaviours to drinking and outlines the benefits of health, fitness and wellbeing.
Drinkaware’s website has a hub of ideas and inspiration on activities people can do on drink free days, including taking up regular exercise, trying a new hobby and even going for something outside of their comfort zone such as outdoor swimming.
Drinkaware is encouraging support for Drink Free Days not just to coincide with the current advertising burst, but year-round, so that drinkers make drink free days a permanent part of their lives.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage mid-life drinkers to cut down on their drinking by taking several drink free days every week. YouGov research for Drinkaware1 shows that 85% of mid-life drinkers agree that reducing their drinking is a good way to improve their health, but only 49% have tried to cut back.
Elaine Hindal, Drinkaware Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to be launching this new phase in our Drink Free Days campaign, which was hugely successful last year in its reach and its ability to inspire target drinkers to review their drinking and take steps to reduce it.
“As our research shows, there is a gap between many mid-life drinkers’ association with the health benefits of cutting down on their drinking and their actions. Our aim is to provide encouragement and strategies, through Drink Free Days, to help more people to reduce their drinking and improve their health and wellbeing.
“The research also points to some simple measures that licensees can take to help customers who want to cut back, such as offering a good selection of no and low alcohol drinks, and providing a range of smaller beer bottles and wines in a 125ml serve. We’d also encourage pubs to display our Drink Free Days poster.
“Drink free days don’t have to be pub free days, and with a growing number of consumers cutting down or cutting out alcohol, licensees need to provide an enjoyable experience for all their customers, whether or not they’re drinking.”
