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Alcohol - A Summary

Post your experience

See your doctor or practice nurse if you are drinking heavily and are finding it difficult to cut down. This is a brief summary leaflet about alcohol. A more detailed leaflet on alcohol is also available.

What are the safe limits of alcohol drinking?

  • Men - no more than 21 units per week (and no more than 4 units in any one day).
  • Women - no more than 14 units per week (and no more than 3 units in any one day).
  • Pregnant women, and women trying to get pregnant, should not drink alcohol at all.

In general, the more you drink above these limits, the more harmful alcohol is likely to be. Also, binge drinking (for example, 10 units twice a week) can be harmful even though the weekly total may not seem too high.

One unit of alcohol is 10ml (1cl) by volume, or 8g by weight, of pure alcohol. For example:

  • One unit of alcohol is about equal to:
    • half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager, or cider (3-4% alcohol by volume), or
    • a standard pub measure (50ml) of fortified wine such as sherry or port (20% alcohol by volume).
  • There are one and a half units of alcohol in:
    • a small glass (125ml) of ordinary strength wine (12% alcohol by volume), or
    • a standard pub measure (35ml) of spirits (40% alcohol by volume).
  • Note: many wines and beers are stronger than 'ordinary' standard strength.

What problems can develop if I drink too much alcohol?

You have an increased risk of developing illnesses

For example:

  • Serious liver disease (cirrhosis or hepatitis).
  • Stomach and pancreas disorders.
  • Depression and anxiety.
  • Sexual difficulties.
  • Muscle and heart muscle disease.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Damage to nervous tissue.
  • Accidents - in particular injury and death from fire and car crashes.
  • Some cancers (mouth, gullet, liver, colon and breast).
  • Obesity (alcohol has many calories).

You may become alcohol dependent

This means that if you stop drinking alcohol for a day or so, you suffer unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. For example: feeling sick, trembling, sweating, craving for alcohol. So, you end up drinking alcohol every day to avoid these symptoms.

You can damage others

Many families have become severely affected by one member becoming a problem drinker. Emotional, financial, and psychological distress often occur in such families. Often the problem drinker denies or refuses to accept that the root cause is alcohol.

Tackling the problem of heavy drinking

Many people can quite easily cut down on heavy drinking. Try drinking low alcohol beers, pacing the rate of drinking, or drinking on fewer days of the week. For some people it is more difficult.

  • Accepting that you may have a problem can be the biggest step to returning to sensible drinking. Counselling and support from a doctor, nurse, or counsellor often helps.
  • A 'detoxification' treatment may be advised for some people.
  • Referral for specialist help is needed in some cases.

Further resources and sources of help

Drinkline - National Alcohol Helpline Tel: 0800 917 8282
Offers help to callers worried about their own drinking and support to the family and friends of people who are drinking. Advice to callers on where to go for help.

Alcoholics Anonymous PO Box 1 10 Toft Green, York, YO1 7ND
Helpline: 0845 769 7555 Web: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
There are over 3000 meetings held in the UK each week with over 40,000 members. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

AL-Anon Family Groups 61 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4YF
Tel: 020 7403 0888 Web: www.al-anonuk.org.uk
Offers support for families and friends of alcoholics whether the drinker is still drinking or not.

Know Your Units campaign From the NHS
Web: www.units.nhs.uk
Aims to tell drinkers how many units are in their drinks and help them stick to their limits.

Department of Health - Their alcohol misuse page
Web: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Alcoholmisuse/index.htm
Includes information on the National Alcohol Strategy, and policy and advice on sensible drinking and the prevention of alcohol misuse.

References


Comprehensive patient resources are available at www.patient.co.uk

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. EMIS has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. For details see our conditions.
© EMIS 2009    Reviewed: 12 Jan 2009   DocID: 4668   Version: 39

This organsition has been certified as a producer of reliable health and social care information.

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The authors and editors of this article are employed to create accurate and up to date content reflecting reliable research evidence, guidance and best clinical practice. They are free from any commercial conflicts of interest. Find out more about updating.

Links to other pages within Patient UK which are related to this topic:
Experience | Leaflets | Support | Patient+ | Guidelines | Weblinks | Poems | Videos | News | Products | Other
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Recommended Book
Alcoholism: The Family GuideAlcoholism: The Family Guide
Available in the Patient UK Bookshop

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Your Experience (^ top of page)

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Support Group Abbeycare Foundation
Support Group Action on Addiction
Support Group ADAPT
Support Group Adfam
Support Group Al-Anon Family Groups UK and Eire
Support Group Alcohol Concern
Support Group Alcohol Focus Scotland
Support Group Alcoholics Anonymous
Support Group Alexander Clinic
Support Group Broadreach House (help for alcohol & drug misusue)
Support Group Campaign Against Drinking and Driving
Support Group Castle Craig Hospital
Support Group Down Your Drink
Support Group Drinkaware
Support Group Drinkline
Support Group Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Aware UK
Support Group Foundation 66
Support Group Four Seasons Health Care
Support Group Francis House - Assisi Community Care
Support Group Hebron Trust
Support Group Institute of Alcohol Studies
Support Group LawCare
Support Group Mount Carmel
Support Group National Association for Children of Alcoholics
Support Group Nationwide TT Register
Support Group NOFAS-UK
Support Group Pharmacist Support
Support Group Rainbow House (alcohol/drugs rehabilitation)
Support Group Turning Point (substance abuse/mental health/learning disabilities)
Support Group UK Drug Rehab - National Addiction Rehabilitation Directory
Support Group Vale House Stabilisation Services

 Acute Alcohol Withdrawal and Delirium Tremens
 Alcohol Related Problems
 Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
 Alcoholism - Recognition and Assessment
 Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse - Management
 Assessment of Drug Dependence
 CAGE Questionnaire
 Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines
 Macrocytosis and Macrocytic Anaemia
 Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

 Guidelines on Alcohol Abuse
 Guidelines on Chronic Alcoholism

 Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse
 Fetal (Foetal) Alcohol Syndrome

 Born to Binge
 Brought to a Head

 Links to online videos on Alcohol Abuse
 Alcohol - It's No Joke (video page)

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Books

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