On the heels of the January 8 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report spotlighting risky binge drinking in American women, Scotland has rolled out a new mobile app targeting a growing problem of women drinking in that country. The app for Android-powered devices is part of the Scottish “Drop a Glass Size Campaign,” which launched January 8 as well. The campaign specifically "encourages women to think about the health effects of regularly drinking above the recommended alcohol guidelines." The free app shows users that cutting down a glass size can have a significant impact on the aging process.
The app is called the “Drinking Mirror.” Users upload a photo into the app and it shows a composite of how the woman will look if she keeps drinking.
Dr. Samantha Robson comments: “Alcohol undoubtedly has an effect on our appearance in the short and long-term. As well as causing bloating and dark circles under your eyes, alcohol dries out skin and can lead to wrinkles and premature aging. Many people forget that alcohol also affects their sleep, which doesn’t do skin any favors. But drinking more than you should over time can have other, more permanent, detrimental effects on your skin and more importantly your overall health."
The spokeswoman said many women don’t think about the longer term effects of drinking or that on average it takes them longer than a man to recover from the damage caused by a big night. "But cutting down a glass size, or having a break some nights, the result could make a huge difference to how they look and feel.”
An iPhone version will be out shortly. A web version is also available.
The number of alcohol-related deaths among women aged 30-44 has doubled in the last 20 years, and the chronic liver disease and cirrhosis death rate among 30-44 year old women in Scotland has tripled since the mid to late 1980s. Alcohol use disorders and the disease of alcoholism are a particular concern throughout the United Kingdom and in neighboring Europe.
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