Lion NZ’s renowned Alcohol&Me programme is proudly celebrating its 10th birthday this month, which is a significant milestone for the programme that started as an internal workshop in April 2013, and has since gone on to educate more than 400,000 adult New Zealanders.
Alcohol&Me Manager, Jude Walter said the programme, which draws on expert information from New Zealand and around the world and is regularly reviewed by medical experts, gives Kiwis practical information about alcohol so they can make informed decisions about their drinking.
“Education can play a key role in reducing alcohol misuse and we know from our research that many Kiwis overestimate their drinking knowledge. Alcohol&Me is about helping people to make smarter drinking choices by providing them with easy access to tools and trusted information about how alcohol affects your body and mind.”
Research conducted by Lion NZ has shown that perceived knowledge of alcohol is high, and that nine out of ten people rate their knowledge as good or better. However, while most people have heard of standard drinks, under half can actually provide the correct definition, and 30 percent incorrectly believe a standard drink is a single bottle of beer or glass of wine.
Walter said that few people know that the human liver can only process one standard drink or 10 grams of pure alcohol per hour, and that there is no way to speed this process up.
“When broken down by age, 25-34 years olds rank as the most knowledgeable, being the age group most likely to be able to correctly define what a standard drink is, with those 55 years and older lagging behind. However, Kiwi drinkers 45 years plus are responsible hosts being the most likely to offer low and no alcohol options plus food to guests.”
Feedback from the Alcohol&Me programme has been extremely positive, with 95 percent of people recommending the programme to others, and 89 per cent of people have made positive changes to the way they drink after completing the Alcohol&Me module. The most often reported changes are having alcohol-free nights and eating a meal before drinking.
“Our drinking culture is evolving, and we are starting to embrace moderation. We drink around 25 per cent less now than in the 70s and 80s and harmful drinking, particularly among younger drinkers, has also fallen,” added Walter.
“However, education continues to be very important. Lion is committed to playing its part in reducing alcohol misuse and is proud to have been providing best-in-class consumer education through Alcohol&Me for the past decade.
Walter said that people can drink smarter by remembering to size, pace, and space their consumption.
Alcohol&Me is available free of charge through its official website, or as a tailored workplace workshop. Alcohol&Me has partnered with more than 20 New Zealand businesses to deliver alcohol education to teams across a wide range of industries including Fulton Hogan, PwC, Colliers International, FCB and The Highlanders.
