Alcohol Awareness Week - 11-17 November 2019

Alcohol Awareness Week is a campaign to get people thinking and talking about alcohol.

Did you know?

Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions including mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers; high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver; and depression.
Each year, alcohol is a factor in the deaths of 24,000 people in the UK. It’s the biggest risk factor for deaths among 15-49 year olds.
1 in 5 of the hospital population drink at harmful levels, and 1 in 10 are alcohol dependent.
49% of stranger violence and around 70% of violent incidents in the weekends, evenings and night are alcohol-related.
84% of people are unaware of the Government’s low-risk drinking guidelines, meaning that the vast majority do not have the information they need to make informed choices around their drinking.

Am I drinking too much?

Knowing how much is too much can be confusing when it comes to alcohol. Most of us feel that we know when we’ve overdone it, but sometimes drinking can creep up on us and we find that we’re drinking more than we would like.

For this reason, in 2016 the Chief Medical Officers published new ‘low risk’ drinking guidelines to help give us a better steer about how we can minimise the risks associated with drinking and make healthier choices.

The guidelines for both men and women say:

You are safest not to drink more than 14 units per week. 14 units means roughly 6 pints of lager or one and a half bottles of wine.
It is best to spread this drinking over 3 days or more during the week
A good way to help you keep low risk is to have several alcohol free days each week.

Drinking Tips

Drink and think in units – Its recommended that you do not drink more than 14 units/week
Keep a drinking diary – keeping a diary for a few weeks helps you understand your drinking pattern so that you can work out what you are happy with and what you’re not.
Pace yourself – Enjoy each drink slowly and remember you don’t have to join in every round!
Try drinking low alcohol and alcohol free drinks
Have a few days off each week
Eat before and while you drink – its slows down the alcohol being absorbed into your bloodstream and help you pace yourself
Ask for help – if you feel your drinking is getting out of control. Talk to your GP or local treatment service.

More information on alcohol awareness and useful tips and guidance is available at https://alcoholchange.org.uk/

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Alcohol Awareness Week - 11-17 November 2019

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