The government is launching an advertising campaign that is aimed at improving the awareness of older drinkers with regard to the potential problems of over drinking. The people of the UK are known for loving their drink. With the pub culture being big in Britain, this comes as no surprise. Yet what does the government mean by “older” drinkers?
The advertising campaign, which is going to cost a whopping £10M is targeted at drinkers aged 35 years and above. Why this age group? According to Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo:
It’s primarily aimed at over-35s because it’s clear from research that that age range is less well-informed, at times clueless [about units]. However, such ignorance is understandable because of the trend towards larger-sized drinks and the growing strength of some wines and beers.
The main action plan is to inform the general public about the units of alcohol contained within drinks. The Guardian gives some examples:
A UK unit is 10ml or eight grams of pure alcohol. A standard 750ml bottle of wine that is 11.5 per cent alcohol by volume contains 8.625 units, but one at 12.5 per cent strength has 9.375 units and one at 13.5 per cent has 10.125 units.
I just wonder how effective this expensive campaign is going to be. Would merely pointing out the alcohol content of favorite tipples be enough? The government seems convinced – let’s hope that the campaign does help.