Drinkaware partners with Tesco and Heineken UK to get customers to check their drinking

• Drinkaware has partnered with Tesco and Heineken® 0.0 as part of their nationwide campaign to get more people to check their drinking
• Customers across 50 Tesco stores in the UK will have the opportunity to complete an in-person Drinking Check
• Customers who complete the Drinking Check will get a free sample of Heineken® 0.0

Drinkaware is today (Tuesday, 13 August) launching a partnership with Tesco and Heineken® 0.0 providing in-person Drinking Checks in stores across the UK.

Staff will be in 50 Tesco stores across the UK over the bank holiday weekend, encouraging customers to complete the Drinking Check. The Drinking Check is a simple online quiz that takes just three minutes. It gives you a drinking risk score and helps you to understand if your drinking could be putting your health at risk. It then offers advice and support to help people cut down if they need to. The Chief Medical Officer’s low risk guidelines recommend drinking no more than 14 units per week, spread over three or more days with several drink free days.

Customers completing the Drinking Check will be offered a free sample Heineken® 0.0. Switching to no alcohol beers is an increasingly popular way for people to moderate their drinking.

Karen Tyrell, Chief Executive of the charity Drinkaware, said:

"It’s great to partner with Tesco and HEINEKEN as part of our campaign to get more people to check their drinking. Many of us regularly check our blood pressure and cholesterol, but research shows that two-thirds (66%) of adult drinkers in the UK, an estimated 30 million people, have never been asked to check their drinking.

“The Drinking Check is free, and with the support of trained staff in Tesco stores, a quick and easy way to find out if your drinking is putting your health at risk.

“Being able to sample Heineken® 0.0 will hopefully encourage more people to switch to no alcohol drinks, as a way to help moderate their drinking.”

Oonagh Turnbull, Head of Health Campaigns at Tesco, said:

"This partnership with Drinkaware is a great way for our customers to learn more about their drinking habits. People are taking more of an interest in how much they drink, and the Drinking Check is a good way to ensure you are not impacting your health.

"The option to try Heineken® 0.0 is another bonus for customers; we have seen huge growth in the sale of No and Low beer and cider this summer, especially during the recent European football tournament with demand even topping that for Dry January.”

Guy Mason, Head of Responsibility at HEINEKEN UK, said:

“Partnering with Drinkaware and Tesco on this important campaign supports our commitment to responsible drinking – ‘Always a choice’. Heineken® 0.0 provides a great option for those looking to moderate their drinking without compromising. By completing the Drinking Check, customers can gain valuable insights into their drinking habits and take a positive step towards their wellbeing. We’re proud to offer a free sample of Heineken® 0.0 as a way to encourage more people to explore alcohol-free alternatives as part of a balanced lifestyle.”

The Drinking Check

The Drinking Check is based on the internationally recognised World Health Organisation (WHO) Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) which is used by medical professionals across the world to check the risk of alcohol-related problems, including alcohol dependence. Drinkaware’

How does the Drinking Check work?

There are ten multiple-choice questions that cover various aspects of your alcohol use, such as:

• How many alcohol units you drink on a typical drinking day   
• Whether you can stop drinking after starting, or need a drink in the morning
• Being unable to remember what happened the night before, or being injured 

Your answer to each question is scored from 0-4, depending on the level of risk suggested by your response. The scores are added together to give a total score between 0-40 - the higher the score, the greater the likelihood that you are drinking in a risky or harmful way.

What do the different scores mean?

• 0 to 7 indicates lower risk
• 8 to 15 indicates increasing risk
• 16 to 19 indicates higher risk
• 20 or more indicates possible dependence 

The score on any AUDIT test isn’t a diagnosis of anything by itself. Your score can suggest the presence of a potential alcohol use disorder, but a healthcare professional will be able to offer you advice that considers other factors that are relevant for you – like your age, sex and genetic factors.