Community get free information and advice on alcohol and health

Asda Cookstown and Drinkaware, the UK's leading alcohol education charity, are working together to provide free information and advice on alcohol to the local community.

The event took place in store last Friday (January 13), with a Drinkaware stand set-up to give customers the opportunity to access friendly advice and to ask questions.

Patsy McGlone MLA visited the store to learn more about the initiative and speak to customers.

Participants were encouraged to complete a quick alcohol assessment using Drinkaware scratch cards and offered a free alcohol unit measuring cup and calorie wheel to take home.

There was also specific help for parents on how to speak to their kids about alcohol and how to answer the difficult questions that children can ask.

A long-standing partner of Asda, Drinkaware provides consumers with honest information, advice and tips to help them make informed decisions about alcohol.

Customers who took part also had the chance to enter a prize draw to win a £50 Asda gift card.

Chris Lowe, Senior Director for Corporate Affairs at Asda, said: “Working with Drinkaware is central to our role as a responsible retailer of alcohol and this new project aims to provide impartial, evidence-based information and practical resources in a non-judgmental, engaging and fun environment.

“Our customer insight shows that a lot of shoppers think about their health in January and look for ways to cut back on their alcohol consumption after the festive period.

“We were pleased to host Drinkaware trained colleagues in store offering accessible, friendly advice to customers.”

Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive at Drinkaware, added: “Understanding your alcohol intake can be confusing which is why we have produced a series of scratch-cards to help present clear information, in a simple, non-judgemental manner.

“This January we are spreading the word about how having just a little less alcohol can help people stay healthy and we hope the information we present can help people make better choices about their drinking.”