Alcohol and drug awareness is an important part of everyone’s health and wellbeing. Drug and alcohol use can be an issue that affects anyone.
The effects can cause problems for communities, the individual and their families.
- Are you, a family member or a loved one experiencing any problems as a result of drug and/or alcohol use?
- Do you need help or advice to reduce your risks and prevent further issues?
Alcohol and drug use can affect your judgement, behaviour and your health.
Currently adults are advised to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread across more than 3 days. The number of units in a drink depends on the strength of the alcohol, and the amount of it in the drink.
Here is a guide:
| Drink | Number of Units |
| Single shot of spirts (25ml, 40%) | 1 |
| Bottle of beer, lager or cider (330ml, 4.5%) | 1.5 |
| Medium glass of wine (175ml, 12.5%) | 2.2 |
| Pint of beer, lager or cider (568ml, 4%) | 2.3 |
| Bottle of wine (750ml, 13%) | 9.8 |
Find out how many units of alcohol you drink in a week using the unit calculator.
Sometimes, we can drink too much alcohol, without even realising it. In other cases, some may feel like they rely on alcohol to function, or to get through the day. The misuse of alcohol and drugs can have a big impact on our health and wellbeing, as well as our families, and the communities we live in.
Here’s how alcohol can affect us:
Physical health: regularly drinking above 14 units a week increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. Cutting down is one great way to help reduce blood pressure.
Mental health: regularly drinking alcohol affects your brain chemistry and can increase the risk of depression, low mood, and anxiety. Drinking could make you feel more tired or down.
Weight: many people do not realise how many calories are in their drinks. Reducing how much alcohol we drink is a good way to cut down our calorie intake.
Caring roles: supporting someone with alcohol issues can cause a range of problems for the carer or family member, including
- stress
- impacts on health and wellbeing
- financial issues
- caring responsibilities
- having to miss work to care for that person.