The successful Lower My Drinking app is helping to support people across Cheshire and Merseyside to cut down on the amount of alcohol they drink, particularly those looking to change their habits this Sober October.

The campaign looks to raise awareness of the Lower My Drinking app, which is completely free for residents. The app helps to put people in control of their drinking habits, tracking their personal goals and providing support and guidance for cutting down. Anyone who is identified as ‘possible dependent’ will also receive information of local alcohol services, which can provide specialist support.

Launched by the Champs Public Health Collaborative, the app has so far been downloaded over 3700 times and offered personalised support for many local people. It has been designed by clinical psychologists and behavioural scientists to put people in control of their drinking.

Margaret Jones, Director of Public Health for Sefton, and Cheshire and Merseyside’s Lead Director for Reducing Harm from Alcohol, said: “The Lower My Drinking campaign and app are incredibly useful resources for those in Cheshire and Merseyside who would like some support in managing their drinking habits.”

“There are many benefits to this, including the positive impact that drinking less has on both physical health and mental wellbeing. There are also significant benefits for the system, given the high costs of alcohol harm to the NHS, wider public services, and society.”

“In England, alcohol harms were estimated to cost £21bn in 2016, with levels in Cheshire and Merseyside being amongst the highest in the country. This was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with record levels of alcohol harms being recorded since then. As such it is vital that we prioritise prevention activities in our communities, and this is an important resource to help us do that.”

Dr Paul Richardson, Consultant Hepatologist (and Honorary Associate Clinical Professor) Royal Liverpool Hospital (LUFT), and co-lead for the Collaborative’s Reduction of Harm from Alcohol programme, explained: “Alcohol is the biggest risk factor for all early deaths among 15-49 year olds. The risk is not just to those we tend to think of as dependent drinkers, sometimes referred to as ‘alcoholics’. Those who end up on cancer, liver and stroke wards are often ‘normal’ heavy drinkers who might appear well on the outside but who have been unknowingly harming their bodies.”

“This inflicts enormous personal costs on individuals and their families, placing a huge burden on our already stretched health services. These harms are avoidable, however the vast majority of those affected never receive any support to manage their drinking. This app and campaign will help us to reach many more of those people.”

Champs Public Health Collaborative is a formal partnership of Cheshire and Merseyside’s nine Directors of Public Health and their teams. The work behind the Lower My Drinking app is funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, the region’s Integrated Care Board.

To download the app or find out more, please visit the Lower My Drinking website.