A ROADSHOW spreading the word on alcohol intake guidelines in a bid to reduce harm was in Alloa last week.

The Count 14 tour popped up at Asda in town on Friday, February 14, challenging shoppers to estimate how many of their favourite drinks make up the weekly maximum called for by chief medical officers.

Regularly exceeding the recommended 14 units of alcohol per week can increase the risk of developing a range of health problems, including a variety of cancers or heart disease.

The guidelines also highlight that if people do regularly drink around 14 units a week, it should be spread over three days or more, with some alcohol-free periods.

Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland's chief medical officer, said: "The alcohol guidelines are based on the clear evidence that as alcohol use increases, so does the risk of a range of health harms.

"To keep these risks low it's recommended that men and women don't drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

"The 14 unit guideline equates to six pints of medium strength beer, lager or cider; six medium glasses of wine or seven double measures of spirits over the course of a week.

"By increasing understanding of what this means in terms of actual alcoholic drinks, our hope is that adults in Scotland are able to make more informed choices."

The roadshow in the Alloa supermarket offered some handy tools to take away as well, including an alcohol unit calculator and a cup for measuring.

Visit count14.scot to hear more about the Scottish Government's Count 14 campaign.