HEALTH
2.3
UNITS
Wine (13%
175ml)
2.3
UNITS
Beer
(4% pint)
2.8
UNITS
Beer
(5% pint)
1.7
UNITS
1
UNIT
Beer (5%
330ml)
Spirit (40%
single)
SOBERING THOUGHTS
With the party season nearly upon us, it is easy to get swept up in rounds and drink
more than we normally would. Do you know your limit? Andy Mahady reports.
T
he NHS defines binge drinking
for men as having eight
or more units of alcohol in
one session. For women it
is six. The trouble is it can be tricky to
understand how many alcohol units are
in a drink, especially because most drinks
contain more than one unit. Drinking
at home is even trickier because of our
more ‘generous’ measures.
However, there is another simpler
way to gauge your drinking. If you are
drinking to get drunk, you are almost
certainly binge drinking.
Getting very drunk can affect your
physical and mental health. Anti-social
behaviour, accidents and risky sexual
behaviour are commonly linked to
heavier and high risk drinking levels,
and in the longer term it can lead to
serious health problems.
Councillor Hitesh Tailor, the council’s
cabinet member for health and adults’
services, said: “Many of us enjoy a
night out celebrating with friends, but
it’s a shame to let a great night out go
bad because you’ve overdone it on the
booze. The advice is fairly simple: It’s
not a race, so remember to pace.”
Most people with alcohol-related
health problems are not physically
dependent. They simply drink more than
the recommended levels and have done
for some time. Even if you do not go
to pubs or bars, but drink at home it is
still worth looking at how much you are
having. Drinking every day, even if you
are not getting drunk can lead to long
term health conditions. It is always best to
have some alcohol-free days each week.
No-one can say that drinking alcohol
is absolutely safe. By all means enjoy
a drink; just be aware of how much
you are having. By keeping within the
recommended guidelines there is only
a low risk of causing harm in most
circumstances. If you are worried about
your drinking, contact your GP or the
local alcohol service, RISE. It will be
able to suggest ways to help you cut
down your drinking.
The good news is we can still enjoy
drink in moderation if we want to. But,
this party season, why not keep track of
what you are drinking and maybe cut
back a little? It could mean the difference
between a night out you will never forget
– and a night out you cannot remember.
WORRIED ABOUT ALCOHOL?
Recovery Intervention Service
Ealing (RISE)
www.ealingrise.org.uk
Tel: 0800 195 8100
around ealing
Winter 2014/15
13