Safe drinking - South East London ICS

Home > Our residents > Your health > Living well > The Vital 5 > Safe drinking

What is it and why is it important?

Lots of us drink alcohol to relax or when we spend time with friends and family. But too much alcohol can put us at risk of illnesses like liver disease, stroke, and cancer.

Drinking plays a big part in causing some serious health problems that south east London residents die from. It impacts how well we can keep a healthy weight and our mental wellbeing.

There isn’t a “healthy” amount of alcohol but drinking less than 14 units per week helps keep you healthier.

Alcohol units

Strong pint of beer / lager (658ml)

3 units

1 medium glass of wine (175ml)

2 units

Bottle of alcopop (275ml)

1.4 units

1 single measure of spirits

1 unit

Bottle of wine

10 units

There are so many benefits to drinking less, you’ll have more energy, sleep better, lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and cut your risk of getting sick. You’ll save money too!

What can I do about it?

Here are a few tips you can try to help you towards safer drinking:

set a limit on alcohol and stick to it
tell people around you like your friends, family, or community that you want to reduce your alcohol intake so that they can help you
have smaller quantities of alcohol, e.g. a half-pint of beer instead of a pint
choose drinks with lower percentage or units of alcohol
have at least three non-drinking days a week
if you’re going out, don’t buy rounds
set yourself a budget when you’re out drinking and don’t go over it
change the context – suggest a different activity for seeing people, like a trip to the cinema or a simple walk and a talk

What support can I get?

Get to know what you’re drinking and tailor your intake to within the 14 unit weekly limit by visiting Drink less – Better Health – NHS.

You can find out more about cutting down and get advice for next steps – including how to avoid slipping into unhealthy drinking habits – at any of the following websites:

Download the NHS Drink Free Days app free for tips and advice to your mobile device too (Apple store, Google Play).

Support for other substances and addiction

If you are worried about using other substances, or addiction, your GP can be a good place of support. They can talk about your concerns and could offer treatment at the practice or refer you to local services.

You can also speak to local support services yourself. Visit FRANK or call 0300 123 6600 to talk about your options.

You can learn more about addiction and support on Drug addiction: getting help – NHS.

There are also charities and private drug and alcohol treatment organisations that provide support. You can see a list of options on Find support – ADFAM. Adfam also offer support to families and people who are close to people struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.

What is drinking and how can it affect me?

Drinking refers to drinking alcohol, often through drinking beer, wine, or spirits.
Alcohol is a harmful chemical that can have a wide range of negative effects on our bodies.
Alcohol is measured by “units”. A pint of beer (ABV 5.2%) is 3 units. A 175ml glass of red wine (ABV 12%) is 3 units.
There is no “healthy” amount of alcohol but drinking less than 14 units per week helps you stay healthier.
It’s good to have three days off drinking each week.
If you have 14 units it’s good to split this out evenly over at least 3 different days.
Drinking too much alcohol can cause liver disease, stroke, and cancer.
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to dependent drinking (alcoholism). Dependent drinkers usually get physical symptoms if they suddenly cut down or stop drinking. It’s important to seek help if you’re worried about this.
Drinking heavily over a short period of time is called binge drinking.
Binge drinkers are more likely to behave recklessly and are at greater risk of being in an accident.
You could be misusing alcohol if you feel you should cut down drinking, others have been talking about your drinking, you feel bad or guilty about your drinking, or you reach for alcohol first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover.
Other signs of unsafe drinking include sometimes being unable to remember what happened the night before or not doing what is expected of us because of drinking.