Alcohol Awareness Week

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Each year, Alcohol Awareness Week (AAW) focuses on a different element of alcohol consumption, but always with the same goal in mind: to educate and remind the public of the detrimental impact alcohol can have on physical and mental wellbeing, one’s relationships, social life and work.

Led by Alcohol Change UK, this year’s theme is ‘alcohol and work’ and will run from 7-13 July 2025. We spoke to Jane Gardiner, head of consultancy and training at the charity, on the meaning behind AAW and this year’s aim.

Working on it

“Alcohol Awareness Week aims to get us all thinking – and talking – about drinking,” says Jane. The charity seeks to encourage the public to reflect on their relationship with alcohol, on an individual and societal level. “Most importantly, we’ll be looking at how we can all take steps to improve our health, productivity and happiness both inside and outside [of] work,” says Jane on this year’s focus.

“10 million of us in the UK are regularly drinking alcohol in ways that can harm our health and wellbeing. From headaches, hangovers and sleepless nights to lower productivity and symptoms like anxiety and depression worsening over time, alcohol affects us in so many ways,” explains Jane.

“At the same time, the world of work is constantly changing – with lots of us working longer hours, feeling more stress and experiencing a blurring of lines between work and home, while alcohol-centric workplace cultures and environments are still a reality for so many.”

On top of this, the link between our contentment at or with our work and our drinking habits is something that many of us do not pay attention to – whether that be studying, volunteering, contractual work and job insecurity,  or “from unemployment and retirement to parental leave and caring responsibilities”, says Jane.

“These transitions can sometimes leave us feeling unsettled, bored, isolated and lonely, causing us to drink more alcohol and face additional challenges with our physical and mental health, relationships, finances and more.”

This impact is also felt collectively, with organisations suffering from reduced productivity of workers, employees more prone to taking sick leave, absences and health and safety concerns. For many, however, drinking is a part of company culture, a way to socialise with colleagues and even to build relationships with clients.

“That’s why, from offices and factories to shift-work and front line services, this year’s AAW seeks to unravel the complex relationship between alcohol and work and promote the value in fostering healthier, safer and more respectful workplace cultures and conversations surrounding alcohol across industries, sectors and types of work,” says Jane.

How to help

Supporting AAW is a crucial way for pharmacy teams to also support the health and wellbeing of their customers, as we know the numerous health benefits to lowering one’s alcohol consumption, too.

“Among the collection of vital front line support services helping so many of us to improve and maintain good health in our communities every single day, pharmacy teams are in a unique position to get people thinking about the relationship between alcohol and work this Alcohol Awareness Week,” says Jane. 

Of the various things the team can do to get involved, Jane recommends firstly signing up to receive free digital resources like posters and fact sheets to display in the pharmacy, but also to read and educate or re-educate the team on the important facts.

“We’d also encourage pharmacy teams to kick-start honest, positive and thought-provoking conversations about alcohol and work with their colleagues and customers during Alcohol Awareness Week,” says Jane.

“To help, we’ll be launching a new film at the start of the week, exploring the effects of alcohol on our health and wellbeing and how this can show up at work. Sharing this video and signposting members of your community to Alcohol Change UK’s social media channels or the hashtag #AlcoholAwarenessWeek, will enable them to stay tuned into all the content we have planned throughout the week – from the film and personal stories, to research and events.”

It is important that the pharmacy team feels confident when discussing this topic, so that you can guide customers safely with accurate and reliable information, but also, making sure to use the right tone when chatting with customers about their alcohol consumption. So, before sparking conversations with customers, make sure you and your team are comfortable with where the discussion may go.

“Finally, we know that some of us can find it difficult to talk about our own alcohol consumption or any concerns we might have about our loved ones and those around us, including our colleagues – which is why Alcohol Awareness Week exists to help us all start the conversation,” says Jane.

“While the week aims to get us all thinking about drinking and talking about alcohol in new ways, pharmacy teams can always signpost and remind people of Alcohol Change UK’s free, premium and private mobile app, Try Dry®. Try Dry is helping people all over the world to take back control of their drinking habits, like a personal trainer in our pocket for our relationship with alcohol.”

The app can help users monitor drinking habits and set personaised goals.