What Actually Counts As Drinking Too Much?

Three million people die each year as a result of alcohol abuse. And in the UK 27% of people binge drink on their heaviest days, with 24% of adults in England and Scotland regularly drink over the recommended amount, according to leading UK alcohol charity Alcohol Change.

So Belle About Town is asking – How much should you be drinking? Or rather, not drinking. We consulted Dr Elizabeth Kershaw-Yates, GP and her medical team at The Online Clinic.

The NHS advises you shouldn’t regularly drink more than 14 units per week, which is the same as 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.

If you do drink 14 units per week, try to spread your drinking out over multiple days. It’s always better to spread your drinking over 3 or more days, rather than binge drinking on just one or two.

The drinking dangers

If you regularly drink more than 14 units a week, you risk developing illnesses later in life such as brain damage, stroke, damage to the nervous system, and liver and heart disease.

The less you drink, the lower the health risks, and by lowering your alcohol intake, you lower the chance of damaging your health.

How can you cut down?

Here are a few useful tips on cutting down on alcohol:

• Avoid your triggers and avoid situations in which you’re used to drinking. Certain activities, places, and things can all be triggers that cause you to want to drink.
• Set a limit on how much you are going to drink before you start drinking.
• Swap your drinks for smaller sizes – have a bottle of beer instead of a pint, and a small glass of wine rather than a large one.
• Set a budget on the amount of money you will spend on alcohol each week
• Alternate each alcoholic drink with something non-alcoholic.
• Keep a drink diary for three to four weeks. Note down every time you have a drink, including information about how much you drank and where you were. Compare your diary with your goal and if have trouble sticking to it, discuss this with your GP or another health professional.
• Let your friends and family know you are trying to cut down.
• Take a break – have several alcohol-free days per week.

• When you might need help

There are a few warning signs that might show you could have a problem with drinking, but as alcohol consumption is so common, it can be difficult to recognise when it has become a problem. Some of the warning signs include having other people warn you about your drinking, getting into trouble because of your drinking, or if you feel like your drinking is causing problems in other areas of your life.

If drinking has become an issue for you, there are medications available that can help control your alcohol intake. Selincro contains the active ingredient nalmefene, which reduces the urge to drink in the brain and makes the drinking sensation less enjoyable.

Before prescribing medications, your doctor will want to assess your level of alcohol dependence. Therefore, you may be asked to keep an alcohol diary and to try other simple ways and support options before being prescribed medication.

If you have any concerns, seeing a GP is a good place to start. They can advise on the possible medications, counselling and other help available to you.