Northern Investing for Health Partnership

The Christmas party season will soon be in full swi and with plenty of opportunities to drink to excess, people may not realise the potential health consequences of drinking too much over the festive period.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) along with the Northern Drugs and Alcohol Co-Ordination Team (NDACT) urge a ‘smart’ and moderate approach to alcohol use.

Ms Madeline Heaney, Commissioning Officer for Health Promotion, with the PHA and Vice-Chair of NDACT, emphasises the point:

“Enjoying the party season means taking care of yourself and others. If you choose to drink, it is important to stay within safe and smart alcohol limits. Taking charge of whether and how much you drink is really important. It is an issue which is important for many of us, not only so-called ‘heavy drinkers’”

Madeline also makes clear that it’s not just a hangover that people should be worried about after drinking. Alcohol misuse damages relationships and can have a high cost, especially at Christmas. Prolonged and frequent alcohol consumption can have very harmful effects on the liver.

After the brain, the liver is one of the most important organs in the body and alcohol can lead to diseases such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, hepatitis, fibrosis and liver cancer.

Daily alcohol limits are recommended by Government in order to avoid the health and social risks of excessive and binge drinking in any one session. These are

Men

It is recommended that men drink no more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day and no more than 21 units over the course of the week.

Women

It is recommended that women drink no more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day and no more than 14 units over the course of the week. Remember, that for each unit you drink over the daily limit, the risk to your health increases. It's important to spread the units throughout the week – you can't “save up” your units for the weekend or the office party.

Pregnant women or women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol. If they do choose to drink, to minimise the risk to the baby, they should not drink more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week and should not get drunk.

Alcohol is usually measured in units. Many bottles of wine, beer and ready-mixed drinks have the units marked on the label.

Michael Owen, Senior Drugs and Alcohol Co-Ordinator with the PHA added:

“The Northern Drugs and Alcohol Co-Ordination Team continue to identify alcohol as a priority area of work. Alcohol is Northern Ireland’s favourite drug and we would encourage all people who choose to drink, to enjoy alcohol sensibly and moderately. Don’t ruin your and others’ Christmas by drinking to excess”.

 Michael recommends that people follow the daily alcohol limits and the tips below to be able to enjoy alcohol sensibly and make the most of the festive season.

 DON’T:

• ever drink and drive

• drink on an empty stomach

• drink in rounds as this may speed up the frequency of your drinking pattern

• leave your drinks unattended

DO:

• take sips rather than gulps

• alternate each alcoholic drink with a non alcoholic drink e.g. water or a soft drink.

• set yourself a limit and try to stick to it (refer to daily alcohol limits)

• take frequent breaks from drinking to give your body time to recover

• tell friends and family where you are going and who you will be with

The PHA and NDACT would like to wish everyone a safe, happy and moderate Christmas.

For further information on sensible drinking and alcohol units visit the PHA’s website on alcohol: www.knowyourlimits.info

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