Alcohol
ALCOHOL
Alcohol
Alcohol is something that many people like to enjoy occasionally as part of a healthy lifestyle. However,
sometimes drinking alcohol can go beyond this and can have negative consequences for those who
drink, their friends and their families. This is a guide to alcohol to help you to drink responsibly, and to
know where to access help if you are worried things might have gone too far.
Statistics (1)
•
Over 9,000,000 people in England drink in excess of the recommended daily allowance of
alcohol.
•
Alcohol misuse costs England £21 billion per year.
•
9% of men and 4% of women have shown signs of alcohol dependence.
How Many Units?
The recommended daily limit for alcohol is 2-3 units for women, and 3-4 units for men. It is important
to remember that this is a limit, not a target. You should aim to have at least 2 alcohol free days per
week.
1 Unit
Small bottle of alcopop
Half a pint of beer
Half a pint of cider
Single measure of spirit
2 Units
175ml wine
Pint of beer or cider
Double measure of spirit
3 Units
Pint of medium strength
beer (5%)
250ml wine
700ml alcopop
4 Units
500ml beer (7.5%)
500ml cider (7.5%)
(2)
The Risks (3)
Many people will associate the risks of alcohol with being an alcoholic. However, this isn’t necessary
the case. Anyone who is regularly drinking more than the recommended allowance of alcohol, and is
not giving themselves the rest days is putting themself at risk of the negative effects. Health risks
associated with people who regularly drink more than the recommended allowance include:
•
Cancers- mouth, neck, throat, breast and liver
•
Liver cirrhosis
•
High blood pressure
•
Irregular heart beat
Alcohol
How Do I Know If I Am Drinking Too Much? (4)
To be safe, you should try and stick within the recommended allowances for alcohol. However, there
may be some warning signs that you have been drinking too much. These include (but are not limited
to):
•
Getting drunk more than you used to.
•
Being late to or missing work or training because you are hungover.
•
Making impulsive decisions that you later regret because you are drunk.
•
Drinking by yourself, or at odd times of the day (e.g. in the morning).
Cutting Down (5)
Sometimes you might want to cut down the amount that you are drinking. It will make you feel more
awake, improve your skin and help you control your weight. Here are some things that you can do to
help with this:
•
Make a plan at the start of your night of how much you will drink- stick to it!
•
Only take a certain amount of money out.
•
Tell people you are cutting down.
•
Have a smaller drink than you normally would.
•
Have a weaker drink than you normally would.
Where Can I Get Help?
Your first port of call for getting help and advice with alcohol should be your GP. However, you can
also look at our A-Z Glossary for links to websites with information and support, or you can contact
the Learner Services team at QA for advice and support on [email protected].
Bibliography
1.
Alcohol Concern. Statistics on alcohol. Alcohol Concern. [Online] 2015. [Cited: August 28,
2015.] https://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/help-and-advice/statistics-on-alcohol/.
2. Alcohol Education Trust. How many units in a drink? Alcohol Education Trust. [Online] 2014.
[Cited: August 28, 2015.] http://www.alcoholeducationtrust.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/11/Units-Poster.pdf.
Alcohol
3. NHS. The risks of drinking too much. NHS. [Online] March 1, 2014. [Cited: August 28, 2015.]
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Effectsofalcohol.aspx.
4. C&K Careers Ltd. Drinking Too Much? Street Facts. 2013.
5. NHS. Tips on cutting down. NHS. [Online] March 1, 2014. [Cited: August 28, 2015.]
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Tipsoncuttingdown.aspx.