THE ASSIST alcohol team will be out on the streets of Liverpool this coming weekend with the ASSIST Bus, offering free information, advice and support to people about alcohol – and inviting people to take their alcohol challenge.

Over the past ten months, more than 2,000 people from around Liverpool have spoken with the ASSIST team at alcohol awareness events taking place across the city, including many right in the heart of communities in North Liverpool.

On a previous stop in the city centre our Health Intervention workers engaged with over 300 people – and this time, they’re back with a larger team of  intervention workers, expecting to talk with hundreds more about the dangers excessive drinking can bring.
 
Throughout the coming weekend, the ASSIST team will be on board the ASSIST alcohol advice Bus on Liverpool’s Paradise Street to offer non-judgemental, friendly advice and information to shoppers and passersby - armed with tons of fun giveaways including mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails), drinks diaries, exacto pourers, alcohol calorie counters and drinks spinners which help people calculate how much they are drinking.

The ASSIST team will also be providing  short, free, confidential alcohol screenings to help people assess their drinking habits as ‘safe’, hazardous’ or ‘harmful’ – and offering tips on how to drink safely. 

Jay Mannhart, one of the ASSIST alcohol advisors says, “A lot of people we meet tell us that alcohol units are hard to understand, and that they don’t really know how many measures of alcohol are in a typical drink – which makes it hard to know their limits. The underlying aim of our alcohol challenge is to educate people about how much alcohol is a safe amount – in a simple and fun way that they can understand.”

“The ASSIST team isn’t here to judge or tell people to stop drinking, but just to make people more aware of how much they are drinking and of the damage excessive alcohol can cause to their long-term health so that they can make an educated decision for themselves. We want people of all ages and backgrounds, to come on board the bus and to feel comfortable and confident that their concerns will be listened too and taken seriously”.

The ASSIST team will be on hand to not only help individuals who’d like more information for themselves, but also to help support people who may have a relative or friend who needs support and guidance.

When:  Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of February
Where:  Paradise Street – Liverpool city centre (near McDonalds)

More about ASSIST

Over the past 10 months the ASSIST team has successfully partnered up with a number of community organisations such as the Salvation Army and Everton Football Club through Everton in the Community’s Premier Health and has helped hundreds of people around Liverpool to change their drinking habits.

Day-to-day, the ASSIST team meet people in a range of local community venues such as GP surgeries, Surestart Children’s Centres, leisure centres, local gyms, supermarkets, and pubs and clubs – to chat informally about their alcohol concerns.

A range of on-going initiatives are also in place for people with more serious drinking issues and individuals are asked to track their drinking habits using a drinks diary, and through repeat checkups with the ASSIST team.

A dedicated local helpline is also in place (0151 647 7878), as well as seven touch screen kiosks which are placed in strategic community locations containing interactive quizzes and games, to help educate and entertain people in communities about alcohol.