If you’re a bit of a boozer, are you more worried about your liver or your looks? The Scottish government has gone for the latter with the launch of a free app it hopes will encourage people to drink less.
The Drinking Mirror app – part of the government’s Drop a Glass Size sensible-drinking campaign, which kicked off Tuesday – claims to be able to simulate what the face of a heavy drinker will look like further down the road if they continue to guzzle the booze at their current rate.
Once you’ve taken a photo of your face and answered some questions about your regular alcohol intake, Drinking Mirror will produce an image of your bloated, veiny, ruddy-cheeked future look. Apparently, this will be enough to scare you into asking for a smaller “Neat Cheat” glass of wine next time you’re on the razzle, as opposed to a super-large “Goldfish Bowl” glass.
The curious thing about the Drop a Glass Size campaign, however, is that it appears to be aimed only at women. There’s no mention of male drinking on the government’s web page announcing the initiative. What, don’t Scottish men drink?
According to figures from the government, almost 40 percent of women in Scotland regularly drink excessive amounts of alcohol, with the number of alcohol-related deaths among women aged between 30 and 44 doubling in the last two decades. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis is also on the rise.
Launching the campaign, Scotland’s health secretary Alex Neil said, “Evidence shows us that most people who drink alcohol, particularly at home, have no idea of how much they are actually consuming. This campaign will show people how small changes to their drinking habits can have a significant impact on their health and well-being.”
Of course, men can also use the app to see how one too many drinks on a regular basis might affect their looks over time. It’s currently only available for Android devices, though an iOS version is on the way.
[Top image: Haver / Shutterstock]
