Lancashire charity says stigma around alcohol addiction is ruining lives
It's as stats show only one in ten drinkers feel they personally have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
A Lancashire charity claims that the negative stigma around alcohol addiction is "ruining lives", and putting off people getting help.
Stats released by Drinkaware show more than half of UK drinkers feel their country has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, with only one in ten feeling they personally have an unhealthy relationship.
Redrose Recovery operate across Lancashire, including in Preston. They now want conversations about alcohol to be opened up in society.
Peter Yarwood is from the charity. He says: "What we say is you're not on your own, you don't have to walk this pathway on your own."
""We need to make sure that they know there is a solution and they know where to find it and they know how to navigate what can be a scary system when you're full of shame and guilt and in many cases an overwhelming sense of fear."
The Drinkaware Monitor 2023 is the annual 'state of the nation' survey conducted for Drinkaware by YouGov, that provides an insight into the drinking habits of the UK. This year's Monitor looked at how we talk about alcohol and have honest conversations.
Karen Tyrell, Chief Executive of the charity Drinkaware said: "We need to be more open and honest about our own relationship with alcohol and talk more about our drinking habits. Most people think the country has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, but it is not them, it is someone else.
"There has never been a better time to change, and learn from how we talk about mental health, to make people feel more comfortable talking about their drinking.
"One way to understand how much your drinking is by doing the Drinkaware Drinking Check. This short quiz is a quick and easy way to find out if you're putting your health at risk and can also encourage a conversation."
But The Monitor has also found that some people are drinking less. Their results show that the proportion of people drinking less weekly has risen to 39%, compared to 33% in 2019.
Those drinking at home alone at least once a week is down from 24% in 2021 to 18% in 2023.