Alcohol and Your Heath

There is no guaranteed safe level of drinking, but staying under the recommended number of units means you are less likely to damage your health. By regularly drinking more than the recommended number of units a day, you increase the risk of developing serious health problems, which could include:

Cancer of the mouth, neck and throat.

Liver cirrhosis.

High blood pressure.

An irregular heartbeat.

Breast Cancer

The more you drink above the recommended level, the greater the health risks. To stay within the recommended number of units, check the label of your drinks which will tell you how many units of alcohol it contains.

How Many Units?

To avoid any health problems associated with drinking alcohol, it is recommended that men and women should stick to certain amounts of units.

Men should not regularly exceed 3- 4 units per day.

Women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units per day.

Are You Drinking Too Much?

Answer these three questions about your drinking and add up the number brackets after each of your answers:

1) How often do you drink alcohol?

Never (0)

Monthly or less (1)

2-4 times per month (2)

2-3 times per week (3)

4+ times per week (4)

2) How many units of alcohol do you drink on a typical day?

1-2 (0)

3-4 (1)

5-6 (2)

7-9 (3)

10+ (4)

3) How often have you had 6+ units if female, or 8+ units if male, on a single occasion in the last year?

Never (0)

Less than monthly (1)

Monthly (2)

Weekly (3)

Daily, or almost daily (4)

Your Score

If you scored 5 or more, you could be seriously damaging your health and should seek help or support from specialist alcohol services; your support worker can help you do this.
If you scored 3-4, you could be drinking too much and putting your health at risk. Your support worker can provide you with information about ways to reduce your alcohol intake and specialist services you may wish to access.
If you scored 1-2, you are a much lower risk of ill health through your alcohol intake. Remember to always check the units of your drinks to remain at this safer level of drinking.
If you scored 0, you do not use alcohol or your use is very minimal. The risks of damaging your health through your alcohol intake is low.
If you’re worried about your alcohol intake and the effect that it may be having on your health, your support worker can provide you with information to help you cut down on your drinking.