Daily Express - 02.09.2019

(C. Jardin) #1

10 Daily Express Monday, September 2, 2019


DX1ST

By Tom Horton

Health


Take 3 days a week off booze


A CAMPAIGN will urge those aged 40 to 64
to have regular alcohol-free days.
Drinkaware is launching its Drink Free
Days project this week, which aims to encour-
age middle-aged people to take at least three
days off drinking each week.
A recent YouGov poll found that, despite
the vast majority of 40 to 64-year-olds think-
ing that drinking less is a good way to
improve your health, just 49 per cent have
attempted to do so.
The survey also found that the most popu-
lar strategy that middle-aged drinkers would
consider using to cut their intake – but have


not tried before – is portion control,
with 30 per cent of those surveyed saying
they would be willing to consume smaller
drinks.
The poll, which questioned more than
3,000 people, was commissioned by
Drinkaware, an alcohol education charity.
It found that 29 per cent of 40 to 64-year-
olds would be willing to drink a lower
strength alcoholic drink.
More than a quarter would be willing to
record how much they are drinking and about

one in five said they would be willing to drink
non-alcoholic substitutes. But an overwhelm-
ing 86 per cent said they are open to the idea
of taking drink-free days.

A fifth said they would be willing to avoid
always having alcohol in their home.
Drinkaware chief executive Elaine Hindal
said: “If you drink regularly, one of the most
simple and effective ways to improve your
health and well-being is to have several drink-
free days each week. My advice to incorpo-

rate more drink-free days into your week is to
plan ahead.
“Think about the situations that usually
involve alcohol and plan what you will do
instead of drinking.
“Whatever you try, the key is for drink-free
days to become part of your routine.”
One in three middle-aged drinkers con-
sume between six and eight units in one
sitting on at least a monthly basis, the charity
found.
According to Government guidance,
people are advised not to consume more than
14 units in one week.

Hong Kong protests


target city’s airport


PRO-DEMOCRACY
campaigners blocked
roads and halted trains
to Hong Kong’s airport
as protests in the city
continued yesterday.
It followed clashes
during a banned rally
on Saturday which saw
protesters light fires,
right.
Live warning shots
were fired into the air
and police used tear

gas and water cannon
to disperse crowds.
Police resorted to
using pepper spray and
batons as they battled
protesters on the
Hong Kong metro.
Yesterday passengers
had to walk to the city’s
airport and flights
faced delays after
protesters tried to
force their way into the
terminal.

Picture: BILLY H.C. KWOK / GETTY
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