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Tackling 'de-stress drinkers' during alcohol awareness week
12.10.09
Is it time to rethink your drink?
People in the Wakefield District are being urged to 'rethink your drink' during Alcohol Awareness Week, which begins on Monday 19 October.
NHS Wakefield District and its partners 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.
In the Wakefield District there is a specialist 'Alcohol Team' who form part of the Wakefield Integrated Substance Misuse Service (WISMS). This is commissioned by NHS Wakefield District and Wakefield Council. During Alcohol Awareness Week, the team will be visiting the following places to talk to people about how much alcohol they drink, hand out goodies, run the 'beer goggle challenge' and talk about how alcohol affects health:
- Monday 19th Oct - Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre, Castleford - all day
- Tuesday 20th Oct - Hemsworth Market - am
- Wednesday 21st Oct - Pontefract Market - am
- Thursday 22nd Oct - The Ridings Shopping Centre, Wakefield - all day
- Friday 23rd Oct - South Elmsall Market - am
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.
'Harmful and hazardous' drinking is significantly higher in Wakefield than both national and regional averages - it is in the top 10% across the country for both areas. With 24.5% of the population in Wakefield aged 16 years and over reporting engaging in hazardous drinking and 7% of the population in harmful drinking. Hazardous alcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of physical, psychological and social problems including coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, liver disease and increased risk of a range of cancers.
Alcohol related deaths in the Wakefield District are higher than the England average and slightly higher than the average for the region. This includes adult deaths from alcohol specific conditions, chronic liver disease and alcohol attributable conditions. (The above information is taken from Wakefield District Alcohol Related Harm Profile, Report prepared for NHS Wakefield District, April 2009).
Dr Linda Harris is the Clinical Director at NHS Wakefield District and leads the Wakefield Integrated Substance Misuse Service (WISMS). She said that during the road show the team would be pushing the campaign messages to the wider public, but would also like to get through to a huge amount of people who don't class themselves as 'at risk'. These 'social drinkers' often don't see their regular drinking as putting themselves in what is traditionally perceived as the 'at risk' groups.
NHS Wakefield District would like people who drink alcohol regularly as a way of 'unwinding after a stressful day at the office' to think about the amount they drink, in units, and aim to cut down to remain healthier and live longer.
Linda said: "Some people do not realise how much damage they are doing to themselves by drinking every night to relieve 'stress'. Drinking alcohol can actually have the reverse effect and cause sleeplessness and anxiety. 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. Taking a walk or having a relaxing bath can prove more stress relieving than drinking alcohol. Those who enjoy a few glasses of wine or a few beers in the pub more than two or three nights a week, should seriously think about cutting down."
"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."
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)*.
Acting Superintendent Dean Henson, of Wakefield District Police, said: "Although having a few drinks with friends may sound like a recipe for fun, drinking too much can ruin not only your evening but also the rest of your life. After a couple of drinks your reaction speeds become slower which obviously has repercussions if you are driving or even if you are walking home. You immediately become more vulnerable and less aware of what is going on around you. If you are out and about enjoying yourself please drink sensibly and if you are going to drink, leave your car at home."
Cllr Maureen Cummings, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for Adults and Health said: "Drinking too much can have serious consequences, not just for individuals but also for the communities we live in. Excessive alcohol can damage health, affect relationships and increase vulnerability as well as fuelling crime and antisocial behaviour.
"We want Wakefield to have a healthy future both in terms of our people and our communities and by working together we can all play an important role in helping this become a reality."
If you are experiencing problems with your drinking or another person's drinking the Wakefield and District Alcohol Team provides a range of support and services, just telephone 01924 302120 to enquire about help.
For further information visit www.nhs.uk/units.