Drinkaware aims to reach 200,000 potentially problem drinkers in Scotland by 2030.
Football clubs are being urged to join the battle to bring interventions to 200,000 Scots who are unwittingly drinking their way to an early grave.
The SPFL and Rangers were key participants in a summit that seeks to nail down the most effective ways of reaching those who are drinking to excess without realising it.
The new initiative, led by leading alcohol charity Drinkaware aims to identify up to two million risky drinkers in the UK by 2030 – and help them to turn their lives around by facing up to the problem.
Industry leaders gathered at Rangers FC’s stadium for a roundtable summit, where the priority group was those drinking more than recommended low risk levels on a regular basis.
MP Dr Zubir Ahmed – a transplant surgeon – called for earlier interventions that will reach the one in five drinkers who put themselves at risk without knowing it.
At the summit at Ibrox, Ahmed said: “As an NHS transplant surgeon for more than twenty years, I have seen what happens when the conversation about risky drinking comes too late – patients arriving when the damage is already irreversible.
“Eight million people in the UK are drinking at risky levels, many without recognising it. That is the challenge Drinkaware’s new strategy is designed to meet, and I am proud to be part of that conversation.”
Drinkaware CEO Karen Tyrell said: “We’ve made real progress over the last 20 years, with people across the UK drinking less and more staying within low-risk guidelines. But there is still more to do. By working together, we can reach people earlier, support healthier choices, and reduce alcohol-related harm.
“With one in five adults drinking at increasing risk levels, Drinkaware is encouraging anyone concerned about their drinking to take its free Drinking Check, which provides personalised feedback on whether their drinking could be affecting their health.”
Michael Beeson, Head of Partnerships at Drinkaware, said: “Football clubs have a unique role at the heart of their communities, creating trusted spaces that can encourage earlier conversations about alcohol.
“Through partnerships like our Walking Football and Netball programmes with Hearts FC and Heineken UK, we’re bringing people. together for free, inclusive sessions that combine social activity with simple, practical tools like our Drinking Check.
“This highlights the real power of charities, football clubs and industry working together – an approach that will be critical to achieving our shared ambition of two million fewer risky drinkers in the UK by 2030.”
This new target has been developed with industry partners and stakeholders and aligns closely with the focus on prevention and early intervention in Scotland’s Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan.
Participants explored how trusted settings outside traditional healthcare, including football clubs, peer support groups and local community organisations, can play a greater role in encouraging earlier conversations and intervention.
Attendees included the SPFL Trust, Rangers FC, Heineken, Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership, Community Alcohol Partnerships and The Wise Group.
Founded in 2006 by the UK Government, the devolved administrations and the alcohol industry, Drinkaware is funded by unrestricted voluntary donations from more than 120 organisations.
These include UK alcohol producers, retailers, supermarkets, venues, restaurant groups and sports associations.
The Chief Medical Officers’ guideline for both men and women advises that it is safest to drink less than 14 units a week on a regular basis.
If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread your drinking evenly over 3 or more days rather than in one binge.
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