Alcohol Awareness: An Easy Read Guide
We can all drink alcohool if we want too, but we should know how to drink safely.
We’ve put together this Easy Read guide for Alcohol Awareness.
Is drinking alcohol safe?
alcohol you can drink.
Low-risk drinking can help you
avoid health problems from
alcohol:
Drink less than 14 units a week.
That is around 6 pints or glasses of wine.
Spread drinking over three or
more days.
Have many days you do not drink
alcohol each week
People who are pregnant or
planning pregnancy should not
drink alcohol at all!
What is a unit?
A unit is a way of measuring
alcohol in drinks.
Your body takes about 1 hour to
break down 1 Unit.
Milk
A single measure or shot of spirits is 1 unit.
A glass of wine is about 2 or 3 units
pint of beer, lager or cider is 2 or 3 units
You should not “Save Up” 14 units for one or two drinking sessions.
That is binge drinking and is not low-risk.
Alcohol Risks
Drinking alcohol can make you feel more anxious or depressed.
Drinking alcohol can stop you sleeping properly.
Some people behave in a violent way when they have been drinking alcohol.
Memory loss is a problem for heavy drinkers.
Drinking alcohol weakens your immune system.
This means you may become ill more often.
It can be dangerous to drink alcohol while taking medicine.
Check with your GP or call 111.
Drinking over 7 units in one session is binge drinking. The risks are:
Losing things, like your wallet, keys or phone.
Being sick, passing out and alcohol poisoning.
Unsafe sex, which can risk unplanned pregnancy or STIs.
Accidents that can lead to injury and in some cases death.
Drinking alcohol too often can make long term health risks more likely.
Health risks like:
Heart and liver disease
Having a Stroke
Cancer
Anyone who regularly drinks more than 14 units a week is at risk from long term health problems.
Depending on drink
If someone cannot stop drinking it is known as dependent drinking or alcoholism.
problems, like:
Homelessness
Abuse
If you are worried about your drinking or someone else, talk to your GP or call 111 for advice.
Lowering risks
Swap strong drinks for weaker ones or alcohol-free drinks.
Only take a small amount of
money to spend on alcohol.
People may put dangerous drugs in it.
For More Information
www.alcoholchange.org.uk
Alcohol Change UK are a charity
that want to change the way
people think about alcohol.
www.drinkaware.co.uk
Drinkaware is a charity that wants
to help people make better
choices about drinking.