Alcohol Awareness Week (14th – 20th November 2016)

This week is Alcohol Awareness Week which aims to get people thinking about alcohol, their consumption and how it affects them.We have all grown up knowing that alcohol is bad for you, but many people do not have any greater understanding of exactly how it can affect you and the people around you. Raising awareness of the risks involved in excessive alcohol consumption will educate more people as to why there are clear guidelines set out by the government on recommended alcohol levels and why keeping within them is a good idea The recently updated government guidelines actually now state that there is no safe level of alcohol, but that by keeping within the recommended limits (now the same for men and women), you will significantly reduce the risks that alcohol consumption can bring. Some hard statistics you might not know Did you know that alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 different medical conditions? In 2014, there were 8,697 alcohol-related deaths in the UK and the cost to the NHS was £3.5bn. And some of the medical conditions that alcohol can cause Cancer of the mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast Dementia Depression Diabetes Hypertension Brain Damage Liver Disease As part of Alcohol Awareness Week, people are being encouraged to start talking about alcohol, learn about the effects it can have on your health and sign up for Dry January. After the excesses of December, January is a great time to give your body a break and keep off the booze. Even just a month off alcohol can make a real difference to your physical and mental well-being including weight loss, better sleep, more energy, clearer skin, more money and the realisation that you feel better without alcohol. For more information and to sign up for Dry January visit http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/dry-january