Simple, accurate health tests for the home and the workplace.
Alcohol is all around us. Whether you are off to a celebration, at a football game, going on a night out, or even just watching TV, there are signs of alcohol wherever you go. But this could be more harmful than you think.
Alcohol Awareness Week aims to change this. By encouraging healthier drinking habits and changing our mindset and culture about alcohol consumption, we can raise awareness about alcohol and how it can affect people’s lives. Let’s delve into what Alcohol Awareness Week is and how you can get involved this year.
Alcohol Awareness Week will be held from July 1st to July 7th, 2024. Alcohol Change UK coordinates this annual event to change the way we think about alcohol. This campaign is not about completely removing alcohol from your life but rather about developing healthier drinking habits and making drinking alcohol a more conscious choice.
With 342,795 alcohol-related hospital admissions in the UK in 2021 and 10,048 alcohol-related deaths in 2022, it is more important than ever to raise awareness about the dangers of overconsuming alcohol and educate people on how to make more conscious decisions when it comes to alcohol.
The theme of Alcohol Awareness Week 2024 is “Understanding Alcohol Harm”. Alcohol is commonly consumed during celebrations, commiserations and, for some, as a means to cope. However, excessive consumption of alcohol can harm your health and well-being.
For example, aside from a hangover, you are more prone to stroke, various cancers and liver disease. Additionally, it is not just your health that is affected but also your lifestyle. You may face issues with the relationships in your life as well as unemployment and financial problems in more serious cases.
That’s why Alcohol Awareness Week aims to educate people about the harm alcohol can bring, not just to your health but also to your life. By understanding the effects of alcohol, the culture surrounding excessive drinking may change, leading to healthier drinking habits and less reliance on alcohol.
We’ve mentioned a few examples of how alcohol can affect your life, but there are plenty more. Here, we have split these effects into short-term, long-term and lifestyle effects so you can visualise how many aspects of your life alcohol can impact.
Hangover
Alcohol Poisoning
Falls and Accidents
Lowered Inhibitions
Potential Conflicts
High Blood Pressure
Stroke
Pancreatitis
Liver Disease
Liver Cancer
Mouth Cancer
Head and Neck Cancer
Breast Cancer
Bowel Cancer
Depression
Dementia
Sexual Problems
Infertility
Damage to Brain
Issues with the Relationships in Your Life
Family Breakups
Divorce
Domestic Abuse
Unemployment
Homelessness
Financial Problems
If you want to take part in Alcohol Awareness Week this year, why not try some of these healthier drinking tips to make more mindful decisions when it comes to alcohol?
If you want to talk to someone about something, no matter how serious, try talking to them without an alcoholic drink. It’s better to talk about things while you’re both sober to avoid any unnecessary conflicts.
If you’re out celebrating or in a particularly bad mood, you may be more likely to drink more. If this is the case, make a note of how this makes you feel and how it makes others around you feel. This could help you identify any issues and provide you with changes you can make going forward.
Recording when and how much you drink can help you see if there is a pattern in your drinking habits. Why not try using an app such as Try Dry to help you track your drinking?
It may be easier to reduce the amount of alcohol you consume by doing it with a friend. Whether you are aiming to reduce your drinking for a week or a month, doing it with a friend can help you hold yourself accountable whilst also making it feel like less of a challenge.
Why not try taking a break from drinking altogether? Campaigns such as Dry January encourage people to completely stop drinking so they can see the benefits of an alcohol-free lifestyle. If a whole month away from drinking sounds daunting or you just want to start right away, there’s no need to wait for January to come back around. Simply start today and set up your own sober challenge of not consuming alcohol for however long you want.
Not all activities need alcohol! From taking a walk to rock climbing, mocktail making or painting, try out a new hobby or activity that doesn’t involve alcohol. There has also been a rise in the number of alcohol-free events, ideal for people wanting to do an activity but unsure of where to begin!
If you want to reduce your alcohol consumption but are struggling to get started, ask for help. You can talk to your GP or local alcohol service for personalised advice or you can find more information online from websites such as Alcohol Change UK.
If you experience fits, shaking hands, sweating, hallucinations, depression, anxiety or difficulty sleeping after drinking or when sobering up, you could be alcohol dependent. You should not completely stop drinking alcohol if you are alcohol dependent, as this can be fatal. To reduce drinking safely, speak to your GP, and they will provide you with a plan to reduce your alcohol intake.
It’s easy to get involved this Alcohol Awareness Week. You can simply donate to a charity such as Alcohol Change UK, sign up for a fundraising activity, set up your own fundraising activity or reduce your alcohol intake by using the Try Dry app and our tips.
Why not get involved during Alcohol Awareness Week by educating yourself with our health information guides? From Alcohol Information to The Detox Guide, Alcohol and Liver Disease and more, stay informed and take care of your health with Home Health this year.
How long does it take for alcohol to leave your system?
The length of time it takes for your body to remove alcohol from your system varies, but on average, it takes your body about one hour to remove one unit of alcohol. This means depending on the amount you have consumed, alcohol can stay in your system for a number of hours.
Alcohol is classed as a depressant drug as it can affect a person’s judgement and inhibitions as well as their reaction times.
As alcohol affects the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, it is a depressant. The neurotransmitters or chemical messengers in your brain can affect your feelings and behaviour, which leads to the change in judgement and inhibitions commonly associated with drinking.
The recommended units of alcohol are 14 units per week. Drinking more than this recommended amount can increase your risk of liver disease, liver cancer, stroke and more as well as impact the relationships in your life.
Dry January 2024: Tips for a Successful Month
Alcohol Information
Alcohol and Liver Disease
The New Model from SD Biosensor (the manufacturers of the No.1 selling SD Codefree Blood Glucose Meter) has all the benefits of the Codefree plus it boasts a greater accuracy due to a wider haematocrit (HCT) range of 0-70% and GDH-FAD enzyme technology.
All of this with prices starting from just £11.99!
Click here to find out more information.