ACC Media Release

25 October 2013

New app empowers young adults to control their drinking

A new online and mobile app to help young adults cut down on excessive drinking is based on the premise that you’re more likely to change if you can see how much your drinking is ‘costing’ you.

‘DrinkSmart’, developed by Social Code Limited with support from ACC, doesn’t just measure cost in terms of dollars leaving your bank account – it also shows the extra calories you’re consuming, and which may be adding to your waist line.

“Many young people know they’re overdoing it and would like to cut back.  But there are so many triggers, such as people, places and particular activities, that can cause you to drink more than you want to,” says ACC’s General Manager of Insurance and Prevention Services, John Beaglehole.

“To help counter these influences, DrinkSmart focuses on things that matter to many young people, such as money spent and calories consumed.

“DrinkSmart is not anti-alcohol, but about empowering people to drink responsibly, and in a way that doesn’t have a negative effect on their health or bank balance.”

Social Code founder Siobhan Bulfin says “We develop web and mobile applications that help people harness social networks to stay focused and healthy, set achievable goals and keep motivated.”

ACC supported the development of DrinkSmart because “the more you drink, the greater your risk of injury,” says Mr Beaglehole. “Overall, we estimate that alcohol contributes to 11 per cent of injuries.”

“DrinkSmart is easy to use, and will help young people control their drinking, rather than letting their drinking control them.

“You simply click on icons to record details of the type, size, quantity and cost of the drinks you consume. Your own personalised ‘drink diary’ then shows how many drinks you’ve had over the past week, as well as the cost and calories associated with them.”

DrinkSmart is not just about emphasising the potentially negative aspects of drinking too much.

“A built-in ‘drink buddy’ offers positive encouragement to stick to your responsible drinking goals. If you want to, you can also share stories and messages with other users.  So you can have the support of a community of like-minded people who enjoy a drink, but want to avoid the pitfalls of drinking too much.”

DrinkSmart can be downloaded for free from iTunes, or an online version is available at www.drinksmart.co.nz

ENDS 

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