Rethink Your Drink

  

ALCOHOL AWARENESS WEEK: TIME TO RETHINK YOUR DRINK?

 
People in Hillingdon were urged to ‘Rethink Your Drink’ during Alcohol Awareness Week, which began on Monday 19 October.
 
HAGAM, is supporting the Government’s Know Your Limits campaign, which is encouraging people across the country to take stock of how much they are drinking by keeping a drink diary for the week.
 
HAGAM is held a stall on Wednesday 21st October and on Friday 23rd October in the Pavilions The Mall shopping centre in Uxbridge. Passers by were offered an opportunity to be breathalysed, take away useful information, and try the Drink Goggles as well as being able speak to specialist workers on site.
 
Over a quarter of the population in England (10 million adults) drink above the guidelines for lower risk drinking. Of these, 2.6 million adults (8% of men and 6% of women) regularly drink at higher risk levels.
 
The Chief Medical Officer's guidelines on lower-risk drinking recommend men do not drink more than 3-4 units daily (drinking about two pints or two cans of normal-strength lager or beer on a regular basis) and women do not drink more than 2-3 units daily (regularly drinking about a large glass of wine or three single measures of spirits)*.
 
Drinking above these levels can increase your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, liver disease, stroke and other diseases. Drinking above lower-risk guidelines can also impact on your ability to get a good night’s sleep and affect your general day-to-day health.
 
HAGAM’s Chief Executive, Ali Saka said:
“We’re behind the Know Your Limits campaign because alcohol is one of the leading causes of health problems in Hillingdon. It’s so easy to get into a routine of regular drinking which is above the lower-risk guidelines, without realising you might be putting your health at risk. For example, if a man regularly drinks a couple of pints of beer most days of the week, he is drinking above the lower-risk guidelines.”
 
 “Keeping a drink diary for a week is easy, and can really make you stop and think about whether you ought to be cutting back – and there’s no better time than Alcohol Awareness Week to give it a go. As well as reducing the longer term health risks, cutting down on your drinking may help you to look and feel in better shape. You should take a break for 48 hours after an episode of heavy drinking to let your body recover.”
 
 “If you are concerned about the amount of alcohol you or someone you know consumes, please get in contact with HAGAM to find out what free help we can offer.”
 
 
These are the unit strengths and calorie content of some common drinks:
 
                
 
              
 
 
Know Your Limits top ten tips to ‘Rethink Your Drink’:
1.     Decide on your ultimate goal. Do you want to cut down to a set daily amount? Maybe you want to avoid binge drinking? Or perhaps you would like to give up alcohol altogether?
2.     Pick a day of the next week to start cutting down. Go for a day when you are less likely to be under pressure, so it's easier to avoid alcohol.
3.     Keep a drink diary. Writing this on a regular basis will help you to work out how much you're drinking.
4.     Work out how you can avoid situations that you know will encourage you to drink. For example, if you're going out with friends suggest the cinema instead of the pub.
5.     Pace yourself. Try drinking each drink more slowly or alternating alcoholic drinks with soft or low alcohol ones.
6.     Find something else to do while you drink, like playing darts or pool, or dancing. This will take your mind off your drinks and help you to slow down.
7.     Get out of the habit of drinking because you are stressed or have nothing else to do. Look for other ways to relax: activities like swimming or going for a walk will make you feel better and don't involve alcohol.
8.     Take stock of your progress and make sure you give yourself credit where it's due for your achievements so far. This will help you keep going to achieve your targets.
9.     Try to have at least two alcohol-free days a week. Choose days when you're less likely to be in situations where you would usually drink alcohol. Always give your body a 48 hour break from booze if you do drink too much in one session
10. Don't give up! Changing a habit like drinking takes time and hard work, and sometimes it's difficult to drink less. Focus on what you've achieved so far and reward yourself when you have met your drinking targets. If you do relapse, don't stop, just set a new date to start cutting down again.