The Count 14 tour, set to visit 12 locations across Scotland, rolls into Lidl Craigmillar on Sunday to put shoppers’ knowledge of what 14 units means in terms of alcoholic drinks to the test.
With the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines stating men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week to reduce the risks of harm, the roadshow will challenge shoppers to estimate how many of their favourite drinks make up the weekly maximum guideline, and staff will be on hand to bring to life how quickly 14 units can add up.
The guidelines also highlight that if people do regularly drink around 14 units per week, it should be spread over three days or more, with some alcohol-free days.
Regularly exceeding the recommended maximum weekly guideline increases the risk of developing a range of health problems, including cancer of the mouth, throat and breast.
The Scottish Government’s Count 14 campaign, backed by NHS Lothian, aims to help people understand how their weekly drinking adds up.
Dr. Frederike Garbe, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Lothian said: “When it comes to drinking alcohol, most of us could do with cutting down.
“Drinking too much has a negative impact on our overall health and greatly increases the chances of developing illnesses, such as some cancers, stroke and heart disease. The Chief Medical Officer’s advice for both men and women is to not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
“NHS Lothian is pleased to once again support the Count 14 campaign, which encourages people to think about how their weekly drinking adds up.
“While it isn’t always easy to know how many units are in our favourite drink, the Count 14 campaign has lots of information which can really help.”
Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood (above) said: “The alcohol guidelines are based on the clear evidence that as alcohol use increases, so does the risk of a range of health harms. To keep these risks low it’s recommended that men and women don’t drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.
“The 14 unit guideline equates to six pints of medium strength beer, lager or cider; six medium glasses of wine or seven double measures of spirits over the course of a week.
“By increasing understanding of what this means in terms of actual alcoholic drinks, our hope is that adults in Scotland are able to make more informed choices.”
For further information on the guidelines visit count14.scot