Phone app shows health toll of drink

Published on Sunday 5 February 2012 00:00

A SMARTPHONE app showing people the effect too much alcohol can have on their physical appearance has been launched by the Scottish Government.

The “drinking time machine” takes a photograph of the user and then alters it to show how alcohol speeds up the ageing process.

Too much alcohol can give people bad skin, brittle nails and hair, disrupt sleep and cause a decline in mental health – while more serious consequences include high blood pressure, breast cancer and liver disease. One in 30 female deaths in Scotland are linked to alcohol.

Figures from the latest Scottish Health Survey show around 38 per cent of women regularly exceed daily and/or weekly drinking guidelines. It is possible for a woman to exceed the weekly guidelines at a cost of less than £3 (the daily limit is two to three units).

“The main aim of the app is to shock people into drinking just a little bit less,” said designer Auriole Price. “We are appealing to people’s vanity, as the effects of alcohol can include red, broken veins on the cheeks, bloodshot eyes, a bloated face and deeper wrinkles.”

Part of the Scottish Government’s alcohol behaviour campaign, the app will be launched on Tuesday and will be free to download throughout this month.

“Everyone by now is aware that bold action is needed to tackle Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol,” said health secretary Nicola Sturgeon. “The impact of our consumption is estimated to cost Scots £3.56 billion each year: £900 for every adult.”

She added: “With Scots drinking more than any other part of the UK, this campaign aims to encourage adults in Scotland, particularly women, to recognise how much they are actually drinking and to help them make small changes to the way they drink which can improve their health and wellbeing.”

Minimum pricing legislation is due to be brought forward again by the Scottish Government this year after a failed bid to pass it last year.

While it is unlikely a specific minimum price will be included in the bill – therefore giving ministers the opportunity to raise or lower it as they see fit – it is thought the government plans to adopt a 45p minimum charge per unit.

“I still believe there is more that can be done and that is why I will continue to press the case for minimum pricing,” added Sturgeon.

The Scottish Government also brought in legislation last year to stop supermarkets discounting alcohol in return for bulk buying.

The new regulations were aimed at stamping out two-for-one deals or promotions which offered, for example, three bottles of wine for £10.

Recent figures showed that the number of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland has more than doubled in the past three decades.

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Kobi

Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 08:26 PM

What about an app to show how shi*te we will all look after another 10 years of Salmond in charge?

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ex-pet

Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 07:17 PM

This is a brilliant idea. So many teenagers are attached to their phones these days, almost as though they are an extra limb that has developed in freakish sy-fy evolution. There is obviously a country wide problem with under-age drinking and most teenagers have no idea what the real effects of their alcohol consumption is to their bodies. This app could be a real educator and teens would love it because it's on their 5th limb. There is a similar app for smoking and it's extremely illuminating. My partner recently gave up smoking and uses this app as a deterrent whenever the cravings for nicotine return. An alcohol app would indeed be a real soberer. Well done!

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Charles Linskaill

Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 01:37 AM

Phone app shows health toll of drink, Be Honest, Who in their Right Mind would want to download that, Not Many that's for Sure!, The Scottish Government, are trying to be Helpful, But Quite Frankly, Are Wasting our Money!

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