Essex Drinking Time Machine – the sobering truth

13 September 2012

Recovered alcoholic and founder of alcoHELP, Terry Martin, comments:

“We have been looking for a way to highlight the ageing effect of alcohol to the 12,000 Essex school-aged pupils we come into contact with each year including those in the Epping Forest area. The ‘Change My Face’ technology is perfect and enables the message to be passed to a much wider network of people through social network sites.

“After all, in the image conscious society of today, actually seeing the physical impact alcohol can have on ourselves is a sobering and powerful vision.”

Alcohol is notoriously dehydrating as it increases the rate at which the body excretes water and limits the absorption of nutrients vital for skin health and over time will create far deeper lines and more facial wrinkles than a non-drinker. 

The complexion suffers too due to the restricted uptake of vitamins and minerals weakening the immune system and contributing heavily to the premature ageing of the skin.  This in turn leads to a dull, grey looking complexion lacking in radiance.

In addition, according to the British Association of Dermatologists, each half inch square of an average adult’s skin contains 3.2ft (1m) of tiny blood vessels.  Alcohol dilates these small blood vessels, producing flushed, coarse skin and broken veins. Not a welcome look for anybody!

There is most definitely a need to educate young people in Essex on the ageing effects of alcohol. After all, Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership’s January 2012 Alcohol Needs Assessment reported that in 2009/2010, 366,701 over 16 year olds in Essex took part in hazardous, harmful and dependent drinking with 73,000 0-15 year olds living with a binge drinking parent.

alcoHELP’s trustees want today’s children and young people to understand the risks associated with alcohol abuse so that they can make informed decisions based on evidence and facts.

The charity, which has been fortunate enough to work directly with 50,000 children, believes every young person should have access to information about the dangers of alcohol and the negative impact it can have. 

Debby Peirson, co-founder of alcoHELP and recovered alcoholic, adds:
“By including The Drinking Time Machine technology on our website I strongly believe that we will strike a chord with young people by allowing them to see how their face would look in 10 years’ time if they were to regularly consume alcohol.”