Alcohol: How small changes can makes a big difference to your health : Cumbria County Council

The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas once said: “An alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do.”

Different people have different ideas on how much they should drink, but Su Sear, an NHS Cumbria expert on alcohol, says lots of people still don’t understand what’s an unhealthy amount to drink. “It’s not surprising people are confused. The average strength of alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine has gone up over the years and glass sizes vary. But when you sit down with someone and talk through what they drink, they’re very often surprised at how much they’re overdrinking,” she says. Men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units of alcohol a day, with a maximum of 21units over a seven day period. Women should restrict themselves to 2-3 units a day and a maximum of 14 units over a seven day period. A bottle of wine typically contains 10 units, so a couple sharing a bottle with their meal every night are both drinking more than they should. A pint of continental lager contains three units and a spirit measure is one unit.

“A small change in drinking habits can make a big difference to your health,” says Su. “Instead of sharing a bottle of wine, couples can try sharing a night off. When doing the weekly shop, put fewer bottles of wine in the trolley. Don’t be tempted by the cheap beer promotions -the biggest bargain is not spending any money at all.”

“It’s not surprising people are confused. The average strength of alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine has gone up over the years and glass sizes vary.”

Drinking at home seems to be more common in Cumbria than other areas of the country, perhaps because of its rural sparsity. But this can mean that drinking can become a worrying part of family life.

“I know a man who had a shock when he switched the football on and his three year old son immediately went to the fridge and got him a beer without being asked. It was enough for him to cut down on drinking at home,” says Su. She says parents should also consider how they would get their child to hospital in an emergency if they’ve both been drinking.