Scottish Government takes new app-roach to drinking problem among women

Ever wondered if those couple of pints in the local each night after work actually made much of a difference to your youthful looks? Well, the Scottish Government has decided to make it possible for us to see just what effects alcohol can have on the ageing process.

Titled the “Drinking Time Machine“, the app for the iPhone shows how alcohol can speed up the ageing process with a ‘Fat Booth’ style interface in the hope it will encourage women to stay within their recommended alcohol limit.

The app can be downloaded for free for one month as part of the Scottish Government’s Alcohol Behaviour Change campaign, which has launched this week. Using photo-manipulation technology to predict the cumulative effects of alcohol consumption on a regular drinker’s face over 10 years, it combines a person’s picture with details of their drinking habits to reveal the hidden truths behind what effects too much drinking can have.

Setting the app at its maximum level – of regularly drinking about three large glasses or a bottle of wine a night – results in a plumper face, red patches across the cheeks and duller hair and eyes.

With the campaign admitting that the app is out to shock users, it couldn’t come soon enough. Office Official estimates suggest one in every 30 deaths among women is alcohol-related. One in three women regularly drink more than is good for their health, according to a recent Scottish health survey.