It’s Alcohol Awareness Week, running from 7-13 July 2025!
Derbyshire has higher rates of alcohol problems than many other areas in England. Alcohol can cause many problems of which, the one many people think about is alcohol related liver disease, doctors describe liver disease as a “silent illness”, this means that the person is not normally aware their liver is being damaged until they start to develop symptoms, unfortunately for many people this is when the damage has reached an irreparable stage. The good news that reducing your alcohol intake reduces the risk of liver disease developing. Even when liver disease has already developed to a severe stage, often called Cirrhosis, there is still a significant benefit in stopping drinking and people who do so can expect to live much longer than those that continue to drink.
Humans all over the world have always consumed alcohol and it can be an important part of life for many people. Although there is no such thing as completely safe drinking, for a person in good health, drinking no more than the lower risk drinking levels (not regularly drinking more than 14 units per week or 3 units per day), the risks to health are low. If you do drink more than the lower risk levels, there is always a benefit from cutting down, and people that do cut down (or stop completely) tend to report significant benefits in their health and wellbeing.
It is a fact that the less a person drinks – the healthier they will be. The risks increase with every unit consumed and a woman that regularly drinks 35 or more units of alcohol per week or a man that regularly drinks 50 or more units per week is highly likely to experience negative health consequences.
What is a unit – the unit measure of alcohol is designed to put you in control of what you drink, making it easier for you to compare one type of alcohol with another, so you are supported to make informed choices to drink in a way that help you avoid the risks. Most types of alcohol now tell you how many units it contains, and simple unit calculators are available on line – here’s one: Unit calculator | Alcohol Change UK
The following are commonly reported benefits from cutting down:
- Improved energy levels,
- Better sleep
- Improvement in mental health and sense of wellbeing (alcohol is known to both cause and worsen anxiety and depression)
- Find it easier to lose weight
- Report a better sex life and have less relationship problems
- Avoid problems at work
- Reduction in common health problems like high blood pressure, liver disease, and cancer risk
- Reduced risk of accidents – did you know you are much more likely to be the victim of an accident after drinking
- Have more money to spend on other things
Overall alcohol is known to either cause or worsen over 200 different health conditions, but by keeping to the lower risk levels most of these can be avoided.
Now more than ever, people are choosing to drink less alcohol, and are feeling happier and healthier as a result!
Did you know about a FREE app to help you reduce the amount of alcohol you drink? Lower My Drinking is a great tool to have in your back pocket if you would like to cut down a little. Find out more about Lower My Drinking: https://ow.ly/GnSt50WfVhQ
