Made to be Measured: Scotch Whisky industry launches second year of responsible consumption campaign

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has kickstarted the second year of the Made to be Measured campaign, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote responsible consumption and tackle harmful drinking.  

Following on from a successful first year, in which the campaign reached nearly 600,000 people and achieved 5.5 million impressions, the campaign will continue to target adults in Scotland and communicate the importance of measuring your drinks at home, to understand where they sit in relation to the Chief Medical Officer’s low risk drinking guidelines.  

 The SWA is taking an active role in ensuring the Made to Be Measured campaign supports industry professionals in communicating the importance of responsible drinking effectively with their audience, through a series of online and in-person workshops. 

The collaborative nature of the events allows members the opportunity to share unique insight into the challenges faced by industry while SWA can help equip them with campaign tools and assets.

Working closely in this manner to ensure the campaign meets the needs of those working at the forefront is essential to the ongoing success of Made to Be Measured. 

Initially launched in 2023, Made to be Measured is a responsible consumption campaign with Scotch Whisky at its heart.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the alcohol content of drinks and the recommended weekly guidelines (units).  As Scotland’s national drink, carefully crafted and only released after many years of maturation in warehouses across the country, Scotch Whisky is there to be savoured and enjoyed responsibly.

The campaign, aimed at adults in Scotland, will continue to run across a range of digital and consumer platforms, all using creative advertising to help convey and clarify the units within Scotch Whisky and other alcoholic drinks. 

One single 25ml measure of whisky (at 40% abv) comes in at one unit, with guidelines from Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer recommending consumers do not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.

Fourteen units of alcohol equate to approximately 14 single measures (25ml) of spirits, one and a half bottles of wine or five pints of lager at average strength. 

Mark Kent, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association,said: We’re pleased to bring the second year of the campaign to audiences in Scotland.

“In order to make responsible choices about alcohol consumption it is important people understand what the unit guidelines are and how this equates to what they are drinking. Made to be Measured strives to inform people in Scotland about the guidelines and encourage them to track what they drink, particularly when consuming alcohol at home.   

“The Scotch Whisky industry takes responsible consumption of its products extremely seriously and wants consumers to understand that it is a product that is meant to be sipped and savoured.

“Distillers take pride in producing each dram, and whether you enjoy it neat or in a cocktail, it should be consumed in a responsible manner.”  

Count 14 Roadshow urges Edinburgh shoppers to think about their drinking

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

14 units: that’s your limit

Chief medical officers update advice for lower-risk drinking

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Men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week to reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer and liver disease, under new guidelines issued by the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers (CMOs). Continue reading 14 units: that’s your limit