Drinking too much?

The Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines for both men and women are:

• to keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
• if you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread your drinking evenly over 3 or more days
• if you have 1 or 2 heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risks of death from long term illness and from accidents and injuries
• the risk of developing a range of health problems, including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast, increases the more you drink on a regular basis
• if you want to cut down the amount you drink, a good way is to have several drink-free days each week

Read the Low Risk Drinking Guidelines here.

Take an alcohol self-assessment test to find out whether alcohol could be impacting on your health.

14 units is the equivalent of:

• 6 pints of beer or
• 6 medium sized glasses of wine or
• 14 single measures of spirits

It is best to spread this evenly across the week rather than drinking all at once. Having several alcohol-free days each week is a good way to cut down.

You can find out more about alcohol units and calculate your alcohol intake using the Count 14 website. 

It is sometimes hard to tell if you are drinking more than is good for you. Many people drink more than they think, especially when drinking at home.

Short term benefits - you may notice you sleep better, have improved concentration, lose weight, save money, and you certainly won’t miss the fuzzy head and nausea of a hangover.

Long term benefits -  you will be doing your health a big favour by reducing your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, at least seven different types of cancer and liver damage. 

Find out more about the impacts of alcohol on your health

 

 

We’ve compiled a few tips that might help you cut down your alcohol use or reduce your risk of long-term health harms or accidents and injuries.

• Have food before and during drinking: having a full stomach means that it takes longer for alcohol to be absorbed into the bloodstream - meaning that you won’t get drunk as quickly. This reduces your risk of accident. injury or other misadventure.
• Drink plenty of water in between alcoholic drinks: this helps to dilute the alcohol in your bloodstream meaning that you won’t get drunk as quickly. It also helps keep you hydrated, as alcohol dehydrates the body. Drinking lots of water after you stop drinking will not help sober you up, but may reduce the severity of hangover symptoms caused by dehydration.
• Put your drink down between sips: if you keep your drink in your hand you’re inclined to keep sipping. Putting your drink down between sips can slow the rate at which you drink. Be careful though never to leave your drink unattended.
• Use a measure to pour drinks at home: this helps you to keep better track of exactly how much alcohol you are consuming.
• Check the strength of your drink: brands can vary dramatically. Switching to lower strength drinks means you can still enjoy yourself but consume less alcohol, which is better for your health
• Set a budget for a night out and stick to it: this can be a really good way to cut down your drinking, but be aware that if you are setting limits on your drinking and regularly failing to stick to them, this could be a sign of a more serious alcohol problem
• Have several alcohol-free days each week: one of the best ways to reduce your drinking and health risks is simply to have several alcohol free days per week. This is recommended by the Chief Medical Officer as part of their low risk guidance and gives your body (especially the liver) time to recover
• When meeting friends at the pub, plan to do so around an activity: it’s very easy to end up drinking more if you’re just sitting or standing chatting. Doing an activity whilst you’re out, for example playing pool, watching sports or quiz nights might mean you drink less
• Try taking up or pursuing leisure activities that don’t involve alcohol: there are so many things you can do either yourself or with your friends that don’t involve alcohol at all. Why not take up a new hobby or rediscover an old one?!

Many people consider themselves to be moderate drinkers, when in fact they are drinking more than the low-risk guidelines.

Signs that you or someone you care about may have a problem with alcohol:

• not being able to socialise without a drink
• struggling at work or in education because of hangovers
• missing days at work, college or university
• poor concentration
• spending a lot of money on alcohol
• relationships with family and friends are strained
• feeling irritable without a drink
• becoming defensive or angry when challenged about their drinking
• hiding drinking from others or lying about their drinking
• setting limits on your drinking but regularly failing to stick to them

Some people are able to cut down on their drinking themselves, or with the support of a friend or family member. Others go to their GP who will offer advice or direct them to appropriate counselling or treatment services that can help. Many people also find mutual aid or recovery communities/groups really helpful, particularly if they’re looking to stop drinking altogether.

Check out this short video on recognising an alcohol problem that we produced for Alcohol Awareness Week.

Alcohol problems don’t always only affect the person drinking, it can also affect those closest to them.

If you are worried about someone you care about e.g. a partner, relative or friend, who may be experiencing problems with alcohol, you may want to consider the following:

• The person is experiencing a health problem, not simply ‘making bad choices’
• Sometimes, people can be in denial about having an alcohol problem
• You might want to have a conversation with them, explaining that you are worried about their health, or how their drinking is affecting you. It can be best to do this in a compassionate way
• You are not to blame for someone else having an alcohol problem
• Supporting a friend or loved one can be very helpful for them, but you need to protect yourself as well. It is absolutely OK to set firm boundaries and ask for them to be respected
• You are not responsible for someone else’s health or recovery
• You may want to learn more about alcohol or alcohol problems so you understand what the person might be going through

It can be difficult for someone to admit they need help. Offering to accompany them to visit their GP, who may offer advice and support or will direct them to appropriate services or groups which can help, is a good place to begin.

If someone else’s drinking is affecting you, it can be stressful. Even if you are trying to help, you may not get a good reaction, or the person may experience setbacks which might also affect how you feel. There is help and support available for friends and family members affected by someone else’s drinking.

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is a national charity that supports anyone affected by someone else’s alcohol or drug use in Scotland. You may find it helpful to visit their website for more information on support for you if you are affected by a family member’s alcohol use.

Accessing Human Rights for people affected by alcohol use

Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use

Human rights are freedoms that are protected in law. This Charter, produced by the National Collaborative sets out some of the most important rights for people affected by substance use. This means people who have used or still use drugs or alcohol and can include families.

The Charter will help you to know what your rights are and how you can get support to uphold those rights.

Download the Charter of Rights

 

Using Human Rights in Recovery

The Scottish Recovery Consortium, along with the British Institute for Human Rights, has produced a guide designed for people
accessing, or trying to access, recovery services, as well as their loved ones and supporters, to know and speak up for human rights. You may also find this useful in trying to access support.

If you’re concerned about your own alcohol use, contacting your GP for a consultation can be a good starting point.

Drinkline provides advice for anyone who is worried about their own or someone else’s drinking – phone 0800 731 4314, available Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm and Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs has a comprehensive Service Finder tool you can use to find support in your local area, including local recovery communities.

The Scottish Recovery Consortium also provide details of where you can access support across Scotland if you’re struggling with an alcohol or other drug problem.

The Alcoholics Anonymous website also allows you to search for meetings in your local area by post code.

Accessing your rights

Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use

Human rights are freedoms that are protected in law. This Charter, produced by the National Collaborative sets out some of the most important rights for people affected by substance use. This means people who have used or still use drugs or alcohol and can include families.

The Charter will help you to know what your rights are and how you can get support to uphold those rights.

Download the Charter of Rights

 

Using Human Rights in Recovery

The Scottish Recovery Consortium, along with the British Institute for Human Rights, has produced a guide designed for people
accessing, or trying to access, recovery services, as well as their loved ones and supporters, to know and speak up for human rights. You may also find this useful in trying to access support.

 

If you’re looking to cut down your alcohol use, you might find it helpful to use an app to help you keep better track of what you’re drinking. 

Drink Less App

For example, the ‘Drink Less’ app might be really helpful.

The app allows you to:

• Keep track of your drinking and see how it changes over time
• Set goals for the targets that matter to you and get feedback on your progress towards them
• Complete a daily mood diary so you can better understand the effects of your drinking
• Play games designed to strengthen your resolve to drink less alcohol
• Create plans for dealing with situations when you may be tempted to drink excessively
• Check out some insights into your progress

This app has been developed and evaluated by a team of academic researchers to help people reduce their drinking. Behaviour change theory and evidence from other apps was used to decide what content to include in the app. 

Find out more 

 TryDry App

Designed by Alcohol Change UK to accompany their Dry January campaign, but you can use this app anytime to try to cut down your alcohol use.

The app allows you to:

• Stay on track with personalised progress and monitoring
• Receive regular tips, information and support
• Receive daily motivational emails

Find out more

Beware industry funded apps

There are numerous apps which advertise as being helpful for reducing alcohol use, but are funded or developed by alcohol industry funded organisations. One such app in the UK is MyDrinkaware, run by Drinkaware UK.

There is evidence to suggest that some industry funded apps provide misleading information and can nudge people towards increased alcohol consumption.

When choosing an app to cut down on your alcohol use, it is best to select one that has been created by public health professionals and is evidence-based, such as the tools noted above.

Blog: ‘Dark Apps’ uncovered: popular alcohol tracking apps backed by the alcohol industry mislead users