The simple act of totting up how much he was drinking each week was a sobering moment for Sol Curry.
Like an estimated 30 million people across the UK, the 51-year-old company director from Bristol had never been asked to check just how much alcohol he was consuming each week, and considered himself just a “social drinker”.
When he finally did, he realised his habit had reached unhealthy levels. Regularly drinking up to four bottles of wine with his partner on a weekend, and up to six pints when meeting up with friends, meant he was often racking up well in excess of the 14 units a week recommended by health experts.
Fourteen units is equivalent to around six pints of beer or medium-sized glasses of wine.
It was only after completing the Drinkaware Drinking Check that Sol realised it was time to make a change.
“The results showed that I was at increasing risk of damaging my health. I was surprised. When you actually start counting anything and making a record of it, that’s when the mist clears and you usually discover it’s more than you expected. You can be talking an absurd amount of booze.
“Drinking is just something that’s been running along as a theme through my whole life. It almost became as normal as having breakfast.”
The Drinkaware Drinking Check is based on the internationally recognised World Health Organisation alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), which is used by medical professionals worldwide to check the risk of alcohol-related problems.
The quiz features 10 multiple-choice questions, with answers to each being scored from zero to four, depending on the level of risk suggested by your response.
The scores are added together to give a total score between zero and 40. The higher the score, the greater the likelihood that you are drinking in a harmful way.
Between zero and seven indicates lower risk; eight to 15, increasing risk; 16 to 19, higher risk, and 20 or more indicates possible dependence. Sol’s score placed him in the increasing risk category.
“The Drinking Check is encouraging people like me, who are social drinkers, to step back and take a look at their habits,” says Sol.
“I’m definitely drinking less because I’m hyper-aware of it. I still go out to catch up with friends, but we’ll have two or three pints maximum. I’m much closer to being within the guidelines.”
The most recent statistics from the Drinkaware Monitor 2023 – an annual survey of the nation’s drinking habits – reveal that over 30% of UK drinkers are in the increasing risk, high risk or possible dependence categories. They also show that 20% of adults across the UK drink two or three times a week, and 15% four or more times.
However, two in five UK drinkers have tried to reduce their alcohol intake over the past 12 months, and most have succeeded in doing so.
The study also shows that drinkers are most likely to have alcohol-free days during the week. Other techniques include drinking smaller glasses of wine or beer, or avoiding having alcohol in the house.
“Keeping on top of my drinking is directly linked to how well my business is doing, and how good I’m feeling. I’m more now productive and less tired,” adds Sol.
“But it’s a journey that only you can start. You can be nudged towards it by friends, family or partners. But people don’t like being told what to do, especially if they are in denial about something.
“For me it’s been a gradual process and making small changes. You’re not going to start drinking at 15 and get to the age of 51 and suddenly decide you’re going to turn it off like a tap. You can make incremental changes, and as long as you keep improving then that’s great.
“In my case, it’s about spending less time with people who I know are heavy drinkers.
“I’ve lost quite a bit of weight too. Recently I’ve been at my lightest since my 20s.”
Karen Tyrell, CEO of Drinkaware, says, “We are used to regularly checking our eyesight or going to the dentist, and we should be doing the same for our alcohol consumption. Taking the Drinkaware Drinking Check is free and only takes a few minutes – you can do it in the time it takes to boil the kettle.
“Whether you’re thinking about having a drink to celebrate or commiserate over the next few days, why not take the Drinking Check today?”
Join thousands of people checking their drinking with the FREE, quick and easy Drinkaware Drinking Check
Drinkaware Monitor 2023. UK wide sample of 10,473 adults aged 18 to 85 were interviewed, including 6,948 in England, 1,302 in Wales, 1,565 in Scotland and 658 in Northern Ireland.