Who are increasing and higher risk drinkers?

The challenge for all of us is how to target and engage with increasing and higher risk drinkers.

Although binge drinking is always in the media and usually associated with young adults, it is typically older drinkers, aged 25 and over drinking at increasing or higher risk levels for a sustained period of time who will suffer longer-term alcohol-related illness or death.

The target audience for the national campaign is 25-55 year olds from lower socio-economic groups (SEGs), who experience the highest proportion of alcohol-related hospital admissions and appear most responsive to the targeted marketing interventions we have designed to date. Tests are under way targeting older drinkers, who appear to be less responsive to traditional promotional work, using the NHS as a channel.

The segmentation tool will help you to break audiences down into segments so that you can influence increasing and higher risk drinkers effectively.

It's important to remember that people can move in and out of increasing and higher risk drinking throughout their lives, depending on their circumstances. We need to consider all drinkers and in particular those exceeding the lower risk guidelines, not just those drinking at increasing and higher risk levels.