MAN Magazine Winter 2019

HEALTHY LIVING
sevenstarmedia.co.uk
A
nd Friday night without a
customary quick end-of-week
half is no way to kick-off the
weekend.
Being able to hold your ale is one
thing, but drinking your mates under the
table every other night might be pushing
it. Exceeding the weekly recommended
units on a regular basis can lead to
withdrawal symptoms, hair of the dog
and worse case, a slippery slope to
finding the answers in the bottom of
the pint glass. According to drug and
alcohol charity, Addaction, 4% of drinkers
consume one third of the alcohol sold.
While some of us might be losing track
of the BBQs, matches and excuses for a
celebratory pint, as a nation we are drinking
less, with overall consumption in the UK
sinking by 16% since 2004 and 20% of the
population classifying themselves as ‘nondrinkers’
(British Beer and Pub Assoc. 2016).
What’s prompted the change and why
are so many of us swapping out the beer in
favour of a Virgin Daquiri?
Pocketing cash
The price of booze may be 64% cheaper
than in was in 1980 but it’s increased by
33% over the past 10 years and stats show
the more you earn, the more likely you are
to spend on drink. According to Alcohol
Change UK, 88% of participants in the Dry
January campaign saved cash during an
entire month staying off the beers. For most
occasional drinkers the cost of drinking
may not make such a big difference, but
price regulation is
one way to reduce
availability for
those who struggle
with addiction:
“Increasing the price
of high alcohol drinks
is proven to make a
difference. Minimum
Unit Pricing sets a
price below which a
unit of alcohol can’t
be legally sold. It
reduces availability of
high strength, lowcost
drinks that tend
to be consumed by
people with alcohol problems. Scotland
and Ireland have led the way on this
and it’s time for England to catch up.”
Says Karen Tyrell, Executive Director of
External Affairs at drug and alcohol charity
Addaction, responding to the Lancet
alcohol study.
Although the NHS site states
that there is no link between
mental health and drinking
(at time of writing); according
to a Public Health report on
substance misuse, alcohol
consumption is a causal factor
for depression and 41% of
people in alcohol treatment
also need mental health
treatment (with 20% of them
not receiving any mental health
treatment).
Health wise
Keeping fit is a
motivator for
reducing the
number of beers
you might down in a session and it makes
gym sessions a little more effective if you’re
not loading on the extra calories that don’t
translate into muscle mass. The Alcohol
Change UK research showed that 71% of
the Dry Jan participants reported better
sleep; 67% better energy levels and 58%
lost weight. The ways in which alcohol
consumption affects your health vary –
depending on how much and how regularly
you crack open the bottle. What’s clear
though, the less you drink, the less likely
you are to develop certain illnesses. Drinking
more than the recommended upper limit
of 14 units a week
on a regular basis
makes a difference;
alcohol consumption
is a causal factor
in more than 60
medical conditions,
including mouth,
throat, stomach, liver
and breast cancers;
high blood pressure,
cirrhosis of the liver;
and depression.
Another likely reason
that’s encouraging
Brits to cut down.
Getting sorted
According to Addaction, getting older
doesn’t necessarily make us wise when it
comes to drinking: “[…] alcohol is a growing
issue for older people. Hospital admissions
due to alcohol for this group have increased
dramatically in recent years. Alcohol creeps
The number of units you’re
drinking depends on the size
and strength of your drink
(volume of the glass and the
% of alcohol). According to
the Department of Health 14
units should be spread across
the week. 14 units equates
to 6 pints at 4% per pint OR 6
glasses of 175ml at 13% OR
14 measures of whiskey (25ml
shots at 40%).
up on people, playing
an ever-increasing
role in their lives.
Better treatment
options will help
people take control earlier.” says Tyrell.
When it gets serious, alcohol misuse is
the biggest risk factor for death, ill-health
and disability among 15-49-year-olds in the
UK, and the fifth biggest risk factor across all
ages and in England, there are an estimated
589,101 dependent drinkers (2016/17 –
Public Health England 2018), of whom
81.7% are not accessing treatment.
The good news is that when it comes to
getting help, many people take the initiative
– 61% of clients starting treatment were
self-referrals. 24% were from health services
and social care, which includes 14% from
GPs. The average age for people in alcohol
treatment is 46, with 60% of people in
alcohol treatment being male.
“Alcohol is soaked through our culture.
The alcohol industry has set the terms of
the debate for too long. Flashy marketing
disguises an industry that doesn’t do nearly
enough to compensate for the harm it
causes,” explains Tyrell. “Helping people
make healthier choices is vital but all the
evidence shows we need better policy if we
are serious about change.”
More stats & reports on our nation’s
drinking habits at
www. alcoholchange.org.uk/
alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/
alcohol-statistics
For more information
www.drinkaware.co.uk
Author: A E Lee
MAN MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
65