Drinking: Know Your Limits

'Alcohol makes you feel invincible when you are most vulnerable' says a hard-hitting new campaign which will urge young people to know their limits when they have a drink.

The new alcohol ad campaign will illustrate a series of different scenarios where young people, thinking they are 'superheroes' while drunk, take risks with their health and safety, for example, falling off high scaffolding, walking home alone, running into a busy road, getting into fights and coming to serious harm.

The joint Department of Health and the Home Office campaign primarily aims to encourage 18 to 24 year olds to drink responsibly and be aware of the possible serious consequences of drinking to excess.

However, the campaign is also designed to appeal to a slightly younger age group, which research suggests may already be drinking illegally. It is hoped that we may be able to influence their future drinking habits if messages are targeted to them earlier.

Latest figures show that:
- 70 per cent of peak time A & E admissions are alcohol related
- One in three reported rapes happens when the victim has been drinking
- Around half of all violent crime is alcohol related
- Figures show that for 16 to 24 year olds in England, 33 per cent of men drank more than 8 units on at least one day and 24 per cent of women drank more than 6 units on at least one day.
- Younger people are likely to drink heavily - 48 per cent of males and 39 per cent of females aged 16 to 24 drink above the daily recommendations.

The Know Your Limits campaign started on October 16 with a thought provoking TV advert. Advertising will be spread across cinema, radio, magazines and online throughout November.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said: "In England is it estimated that 5.9 million people drink to get drunk. Males and females aged 18 to 24 are our priority in this campaign as they are the most likely to drink irresponsibly.

"We are not trying to demonise alcohol or stop people enjoying themselves. This is about encouraging young people to still have a good time but to know their limits, and to take responsibility for how much they drink.
"Drinking too much alcohol alters your judgement and perception and can lead to people taking risks with their health and safety that they would never normally even consider while sober.

"This high profile advertising campaign will support the actions that the Government is taking to tackle the problem of alcohol related harm and we hope it will help create a culture where drinking responsibly is the norm.
"We need to get the responsible drinking message across as 80 per cent of pedestrian deaths on Friday and Saturday nights are drink related and nearly three quarters of peak time A & E admissions are alcohol related."
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said: "We all have the right to enjoy a few drinks with friends and family but in doing so we have a duty of care to behave responsibly and not risk the safety and wellbeing of ourselves or other people.

"People who drink to excess put themselves in unnecessary danger and have to live with the consequences of their actions, whether that's being arrested, an £80 fine or the unpleasant prospect of physical harm.

"This new £4 million advertising campaign illustrates the consequences people could face for drinking to excess. I want people to continue enjoying their nights out but urge them to drink sensibly to avoid situations that could result in police involvement, injury or worse.

"The Government is dedicated to reduce alcohol related harm and will continue to work with the police to clamp down on irresponsible drinkers and retailers while strengthening our partnerships with the alcohol industry to entrench responsible alcohol sales."

Srabani Sen, CEO of Alcohol Concern said: "We're delighted to see the launch of this campaign. Alcohol Concern has long argued that messages promoting sensible drinking need to be actively promoted and designed with specific groups in mind if they are to have any impact. This is especially true of 16-24 year olds, where binge drinking is widely considered to be a 'rite of passage' into adulthood.

"This campaign marks an important starting point in changing young people's attitudes to binge drinking but there's still a great deal more to do if we're to change the way young people in this country think about their relationship with alcohol."

David Poley, Chief Executive of the The Portman Group said: "Drinks companies have no wish to see their products misused by binge drinking young adults. We therefore warmly welcome this Government campaign which complements the educational work already carried out by the industry".
Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, said:

"This launch is really important. If we can start to change young people's drinking patterns, there is a chance that we may begin to turn the tide of escalating cirrhosis deaths that we are currently seeing in people in their 30s and 40s."

Alcohol is a major cause of disease and injury, it accounts for 9.2 % of years of life lost or lived with disabilities. Alcohol misuse also costs the NHS around £1.6 billion every year, mainly in the acute sector.

An agreement was made in June 2006 between the Government, Drinks Industry and health stakeholders to set up the Drinkaware Trust. This new charitable Trust will be funded by the drinks industry and is aimed at positively changing the UK's drinking culture and tackling alcohol-related harm.

For further information see knowyourlimits.gov.uk.