Alcohol Help

People drinking spirits at home in England are giving themselves more than double (128% extra) what they would get in a pub if they ordered a single shot according to new figures revealed today by the Know Your Limits campaign.

A series of experiments across England found that the average ‘home barman’ pours themselves 57ml when they drink a spirit such as vodka, gin or whisky – 32ml more than a standard single 25ml measure.

If that average English drinker knocked back eight spirits drinks over a week at home, they would be drinking nearly half a litre (456ml) of vodka, gin or whisky, compared to 200ml if they’d ordered the same number of single measures in a pub or bar.

These extra sips equate to 17 units instead of 7.5 units over a week – which can make all the difference for people who might wrongly think they are drinking within the NHS recommended limits of 2-3 units a day for women and 3-4 units a day for men.

Minister for Public Health, Gillian Merron, said:

“Many of us enjoy a drink, especially at New Year.

“But it’s easy to get carried away and it’s worrying to see just how much more people might be unwittingly pouring for themselves and their friends at home on a regular basis.

“Over time, such over-generosity may backfire and harm your health. If you want to minimise your risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease and stroke, it’s worth paying attention to the size of your measures.

“New Year is a good time to re-think how much you drink.”

Other experiment findings

When asked to pour how much they estimated a single 25ml shot to be, the average amount poured was 38ml – over 50% more, with the highest amount measuring in at a staggering 182ml.

People aged 31 to 50 were the most ‘generous’, pouring an average of 41ml, whilst men poured considerably more than women, 43ml compared to 32ml.

Women were shown to be the most ‘lavish’ pourers of wine. The Know Your Limits experiments suggested the average amount of wine poured at home is 186ml, equivalent to 2.4 units of 13% ABV wine; that’s the recommended daily limit for women in just one glass.

The experiments also suggested that the size of your wine glass really does matter. When asked to pour the equivalent of one unit into a large wine glass (250ml), the average amount poured was 157ml, compared to the correct amount at 13% ABV of 76.25ml. In a smaller wine glass (175ml), it was 131ml, which is still 55ml over the correct amount at 13% ABV.

Worryingly over New Year, these ‘home barmen’ are likely to have even more opportunity to fill their glasses, as almost two thirds of home spirit drinkers (61%) never or rarely use a drinks measure at home.

GP and broadcaster, Dr Carol Cooper, said:

“These experiments suggest too many people don’t actually know how much they are drinking, which is worrying as alcohol affects every organ of the body.

“People who regularly drink more than the NHS recommended limits increase their risk of serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, liver disease and many types of cancers.”

Advice for cutting down

Ten million adults in England regularly exceed the recommended daily limits and put their health at risk. The NHS recommends men don’t regularly drink more than three to four units a day (about two pints of beer). For women, the NHS recommendations are for no more than two to three units a day (about two small glasses of wine).

The Know Your Limits campaign has compiled some top tips for those wishing to reduce their alcohol intake as part of their New Year’s Resolutions:

· Measure it: for the easiest way to keep track of how much you’re drinking, use a measure at home when you’re pouring drinks for you or your guests.
· Dilute it: give yourself a longer drink by adding water, sparkling water or a soft drink to your spirits.
· Reduce it: if you’re drinking wine, simply choose the smaller glass and fill it up slightly less. You’ll hardly notice but it all adds up.
· Try it: be brave and try lower alcohol alternatives. There are many more, high quality low- or no-alcohol beers and wines available now so give it a try.
· Alternate it: slow down your speed of drinking by having a non-alcoholic drink, such as water or orange juice, in between alcoholic drinks.
· Remove it: to really kick-start your New Year’s Resolutions, don’t keep alcoholic drinks in your home at all for January and see the impact on your life.
· Save it: as an added incentive, put the money you’d normally spend on alcohol for the home in a piggy-bank and see how much you’ve saved by the end of the month.
· Just do it: many of us know we’d ideally want to cut down how much we drink, so start today and take it one day at a time.

Department of Health

You have to take care of how you manage drinking most especially if you are maintaining an ideal body weight and size. A few drinks occasionally aren’t bad as long as you can handle the effects. Otherwise your muscle gaining goals

You heard it right. Alcohol is one of the major reasons for wasting your most beloved physique and muscles that you have taken care of for years. Alcohol is considered as one of the most significant causes to lose your muscle’s nice features. Despite of what health experts are trying to imply about the negative effects of alcohol, others are still on the verge of tiring themselves with it. Drinking alcohol will definitely ruin muscle gain.

Alcohol is considered as one of the most influential drinks ever invented. Not that it tastes funny but also this drink can now be considered as a drug because of its addictive effects which can affect your life including your family, friends and work. If you really want to maintain your six packs (abs not beer) and your mass, you have to be conscious about drinking alcohol because it can cause deterioration of your years of fruitful labor. What are the effects of alcohol in your body?

1. Increases estrogen and decreases testosterone levels.
If you wanted to increase your muscles, then you have to maintain or increase the levels of testosterone inside your body because it is that hormone that can gear to building your muscles. It will be a loss on your part, as men, if you allowed estrogen to overcome your testosterone levels because that can also cause secondary female characteristics.

2. Affects protein synthesis, big time!
You know that protein is one of the most important nutrients that your body needs in order to gain those additional mass. When you hinder protein synthesis because of too much alcoholism, you tend to hinder for protein to be distributed all throughout your body. Protein synthesis will be slowed down for about 20% the normal status.

3. Strips the body of minerals and vitamins.
Alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body which promotes increase excretion of minerals and vitamins inside the body. When too much alcohol is consumed, it tends to strip off some of the important elements that our body needs namely Vitamin A, B complex, C, calcium, phosphorus and zinc. These elements are drained in rapid manner which can cause comprise to our body’s balance. In order to function properly, one must maintain the sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins inside the body that definitely involves supporting muscle growth.

4. Dehydration can and will occur.
Haven’t you noticed that every time you drink alcohol, you tend to ask for cold water or soda just to get rid of your thirst? This is because, as what is already said, that alcohol is fast-acting diuretic that can increase your body’s ability to dispose water. No doubt about it, every time you visit the John, the essential vitamins and minerals in your body are lost in your urine. If this continues to happen, the water in your body can’t sustain the necessity because of the increase excretion and muscle demand. And muscles are composed of about 60-70% water!

4. Increases storage of fats
Drinkers are known to possess large bellies. That’s because alcohol can trigger deposition of fats inside our bodies. Alcohol contains about 7 calories every gram which is the main reason why alcohol can make people fat in an unnatural way.

You have to take care of how you manage drinking most especially if you are maintaining an ideal body weight and size. A few drinks occasionally aren’t bad as long as you can handle the effects. Otherwise your muscle gaining goals can be totally affected in a very negative way.

Sutikno Slamet

NHS Norfolk today issues its second wave of warnings about excessive drinking during the festive season, and is urging older people to know their limits.

Nationally, 8% of patients aged 65 and over who are admitted to hospital are abusers of alcohol. A quarter of those admissions are directly as a result of alcohol-related medical problems.

Dr Ian Mack, a GP and Chair of NHS Norfolk’s Clinical Executive team, said: "Alcohol plays a major role in the number of older people admitted to hospital. Of those people who have alcoholic liver disease, there is a much higher death rate among older people."

Of the people diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease, more than a third – 34% – are dead within a year. It is older people diagnosed with the disease who have the high mortality rate. Mixing alcohol and prescribed drugs can be equally dangerous.

Dr Mack added: "If people are drinking alcohol and taking prescribed medication it can have a very complex effect on the body. Alcohol affects the way the liver processes many drugs."

This means the drugs may not do the job they were intended for. Mixing alcohol and prescribed drugs can cause nausea and vomiting – and can potentially be deadly.

Jocelyn Pike, Lead Commissioner for Alcohol and Substance Misuse for NHS Norfolk, said: "We have an older population in Norfolk given that it is an area many often choose to retire to. At this time of year, given the rural nature of the county, a lot of older people can feel increasingly isolated and may be prone to drinking to excess, but they may not have any awareness of the physical and mental effects it can have.

"Alcohol can also bring on depression, and depression can encourage people to drink more. However, there is lots support and advice available, and we would advise anyone who thinks they have a problem with alcohol to seek professional help. In addition a healthy diet and even mild exercise can improve the mental and physical ability of the body to deal with the effects of alcohol use."

The Chief Medical Officer recommends that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol daily, and women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units daily. Just one glass of wine or a pint of standard lager/beer can be the equivalent of 3 units.

Maureen Begley, Commissioning Manager, Older Peoples’ Services at Norfolk County Council, said: "When you are older your body does not deal with alcohol quite so well as it did when you were younger. It can also increase the risk of slips, trips and falls. These can lead to people losing confidence.

"While some older people may feel alone at Christmas we want to stress that they are not alone when it comes to seeking help for alcohol problems. There are many organisations prepared to offer support, and we would urge anyone who feels they need help to contact them."

Anyone wishing to seek help or advice in relation to their alcohol use is advised to contact their GP in the first instance.

NHS Norfolk

A joint test purchasing operation was carried out in North Devon in early December has found a dramatic fall in retail outlets selling alcohol to underage young people.

Devon County Council Trading Standards Service and Devon and Cornwall Police undertook the operations on 5 December in Torrington, Barnstaple, Bideford and Braunton.

Officers and young volunteers visited a total of nine businesses and all refused to sell alcohol to 15 and 16 year old young volunteers.

These results are a welcome improvement on a similar exercise held six months ago when a third of off-licenses in Barnstaple and Torrington failed similar checks.

The operation was part of an ongoing project focusing on the problems caused by the sale of age restricted products to youngsters. In previous Devon exercises, approximately 40% of pubs and clubs tested sold to underage volunteers compared with 20% of high street retailers.

The operation was coordinated through the Devon Alcohol Awareness Partnership, which represents a number of agencies in Devon committed to reducing alcohol related harm.

Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services, said: “In National surveys, nearly half of the children under 17 claim to drink alcohol at least once a week and a similar number say they buy the alcohol themselves. No illegal sale of alcohol to a young person is acceptable.

“We welcome the extra effort and vigilance demonstrated during this exercise by retailers in North Devon, and we will continue to work with them to ensure this improvement is sustained.”

PC Paul Daw, of Barnstaple Police Neighbourhood Support Team, said “The figures clearly show an improvement, with licensee’s becoming much more diligent by refusing to sell alcohol to underage persons. I am pleased that the licensed trade is taking its responsibilities seriously and implementing the measures to prevent such sales.

“We have a duty to protect young people and prevent antisocial behaviour. There is a clear link between anti social behaviour and alcohol use in young people. These operations conducted together with our partners, help reduce alcohol getting into the hands of underage persons.”

Not only is it illegal for a business to sell alcohol to people under 18 years of age, there are also serious consequences for the young people concerned, their families and the communities where they live. Relatively small quantities of alcohol can have significant impacts on the health and wellbeing of young people and excessive drinking can also have serious consequences in terms of their personal safety, with consequent impacts on local communities. Reducing underage drinking is therefore a priority area for the Trading Standards Service and their partners.

In the last year, the County Council’s Trading Standards Service has helped and advised all premises selling alcohol and other age restricted products in Devon, including targeted officer advice visits and sending them a free film and staff training pack on CD-ROM called ‘No proof of age – No Sale’.

The advice aims to make businesses aware of their responsibilities, such as checking the identification of customers believed to be under 21. Retailers are advised to use the Challenge 21 scheme to prevent sales of age restricted goods such as alcohol to young people and we would also support those premises choosing to adopt stricter schemes such as Challenge 25.

Devon County Council

An East Sussex Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy called ‘Have Fun, Stay Safe’ has been supported nationally by Alcohol Concern.

The East Sussex Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) launched its second Alcohol Strategy this week and Alcohol Concern has given its formal approval and awarded the strategy a Kitemark. Alcohol Concern campaigns nationally for effective alcohol policy and improved services for people whose lives are affected by alcohol-related problems.

The Kitemark recognises that the East Sussex Strategy is of a high standard and sets out comprehensive partnership plans to reduce any alcohol problems in the county.

Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for Community Services at the County Council, said: “Our strategy builds on the work already being done by a wide range of organisations in an effort to minimise the health harm, violence, crime and anti-social behaviour associated with alcohol for individuals, families and communities. I’m very pleased that it has been given a national stamp of approval by Alcohol Concern.”

The strategy has a number of key target areas including:

* Young people under 18 who drink alcohol
* 18 – 24 year old binge drinkers
* Harmful drinkers
* Reducing the effect of alcohol harm on families and carers

The East Sussex DAAT is producing a summary leaflet for residents which will outline the aims of the strategy, give advice about recommended units in alcoholic drinks, and will let people know where they can get help and advice about alcohol.

Chief Superintendent Robin Smith said: "Each weekend dozens of people effectively ‘over dose’ on alcohol leading to, in many cases, violent crime, anti social behaviour and injury. Sussex Police and our partners are determined to reduce levels of alcohol related crime and we will."

Diana Grice, Director of Public Health and Medical Director said: "The local NHS is working hard to prevent alcohol problems, and has invested an extra £618,000 in specialist treatment across East Sussex to make sure people can get help quickly and when they need it. The festive party season is now upon us and I would like to encourage everyone to have a good time, and to know their limits and to stay safe".

The UK Government advises that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units a day and women not more than two to three. Consistently drinking four or more units for men, and three or more for women, isn’t advisable because of the progressive health risks it carries. After an episode of heavy drinking it is advisable to refrain from drinking for 48 hours.

As a general rule, pregnant women or women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol. If they do choose to drink, to protect the baby they should not drink more than 1 to 2 units of alcohol once or twice a week and should not get drunk.

East Sussex County Council

New Year’s Eve is a wonderful time to celebrate the start of a new year. And fireworks are a wonderful way of celebrating. However, all too often, New Year’s Eve festivities involve excess alcohol. Just like driving and drinking do not mix, shooting consumer fireworks and drinking absolutely do not mix.

If you are at a party for New Year’s Eve where consumer fireworks are being shot, make sure that there is a designated shooter who has not been drinking any alcohol. Even a small quantity of alcohol (one beer, a glass of wine) can impair one’s judgment and ability to properly set up and use consumer fireworks safely.

Nancy Blogin, President of the National Council on Fireworks Safety, notes: “Each New Year’s Eve, consumers are injured because their judgment has been impaired by beer, wine, or another alcoholic drink. The lesson is simple: Alcohol and fireworks don’t mix.”

In addition, the National Council reminds shooters of consumer fireworks of these other important safety tips:

* Only use fireworks outdoors.
* Obey all local laws regarding the use of fireworks.
* Never give fireworks to young children.
* Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks.
* Always have a bucket of water, or water hose, nearby.

And remember, Alcohol And Fireworks Don’t Mix!

National Council on Fireworks Safety

All professional drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinics across the UK know that the number of drug and alcohol related overdoses, rehab clinics admissions, suicides and deaths increase significantly during the Christmas festive season above any other months throughout the year. Drug Alcohol Rehab Clinics operator Panacea UK, Christopher Knight, and supervisor over a national drug and alcohol freephone numbers and web sites, will see hotlines over stretched, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation clinics advisor says that "… during each year of the Christmas festive season, addicts or their loved ones, in desperate need of help or advice, the number of calls just rockets through the roof."

Traditionally the Christmas festive season is a time to spread good will and spending time with family, friends and relatives, and to share food, gifts and pleasant memories with them. According to James Fox, a qualified addiction Counsellor with 20 plus years experience in drug and alcohol rehabilitation now working with Serenity Rehab Clinics , agrees that for a lot of addicts they want to enjoy the festivities but find it difficult when surrounded by their family and friends. Most addicts feel isolated in their addictions and find that interacting with loved ones at Christmas too difficult. A lot of addicts use the festive season as an excuse to drink or take drugs because everyone else is enjoying themselves so why can’t they? For some addicts, the festivities can bring back feelings of low self esteem and unhappiness. This can lead to their addiction worsening at this time of the year. Their addictions can cause depression and withdrawal from normal social activities. Of course, their families and friends want to include them in the festivities but this can lead the addict to withdrawing further and further away. Because of their lack of confidence, they turn to their drug of choice as a short-term way out, a way to forget these feelings for a short time whilst they are getting their high. They use these feelings as an excuse to use a greater amount of drugs or to drink even more. They think this is a way of forgetting their feelings for a little while. It is a well known fact that during the Christmas season, more and more addicts end up in hospital or their drug or alcohol addiction worsens significantly.

Rehab Clinics Chris Knight said, "We are bracing ourselves for the surge of addicts or their loved ones reaching out for desperate help. We have taken on more staff to man our telephone helpline. If we can get addicts help and into treatment during the festive season than that is one more addict in a safe environment receiving the treatment they need. It also means that that is one more addict who will survive the season without ending up in prison or their addiction leading to fatal consequences".

Panacea UK

Bridge House: Preston
We are an alcohol abstinence based residential service, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

About us:

Our service is available to men and women over the age of 18 whose lives have been severely affected by their misuse of alcohol.

Referrals can be made by the prospective client or their representative e.g. Care Manager, Alcohol Worker, Hospital Staff, Social Worker, Probation Officer or Community Psychiatric Nurse.

What happens when we meet?

You will be asked to attend the Project for an Assessment Interview. The purpose of this is to find out what you want and need and establish whether Bridge House is the best environment to meet those needs. If you are not sure about this, check our Frequently Asked Questions.

A decision will normally be made on the day of the assessment and an admission date, or approximate waiting time, will be given.

Services

Structured Therapeutic Group Programme

Sessions take place in a supportive and comfortable environment in which you can feel secure. Residents participate in a wide range of groups – Therapeutic, Educational and Social.

In addition to the group programme, we have the following social calendar:

* Easter: Friends & Family Afternoon
* June: Annual Sponsored Walk
* July: Summer Fete
* August: Three-day activity break in the Lake District
* December: Christmas meal & Friends & Family Afternoon

Help for Children

We know that parents try their very best for their children and many have told us that, while they can get help and support for themselves, there is very little available for their children. At Bridge House, we have a Children & Families Project Worker available to work with both children and parents with the aim of helping to strengthen/re-build these relationships.

Bridge House also has a small terraced house, called Joachim, about 10 minutes’ walk away, which is fully equipped and furnished. This is used to help our residents to have quality time with their children, perhaps over a weekend, whilst still being able to gain support from the Project.

We’ll make you welcome

* Contact us by phone for advice and information
* Book an appointment by phone or in person
* Ask for a referral from any source in the community, such as your local Community Alcohol Service.

Contact Details:

Bridge House
1 St Lukes Place
Preston
Lancashire
PR1 5DE

Telephone: 01772 797654

Underage binge drinkers in Blackburn are being targeted by Lancashire Police and Blackburn with Darwen Council in the run-up to Christmas.

Police officers will patrol key hotspots for youth anti-social behaviour in Blackburn on the night of Saturday 19 December.

Any children who are out late at night and considered to be at risk of becoming victims of crime or falling into criminal behaviour will be taken off the street and into a safe place until they are picked up by their parents or carers.

The crackdown is part of Operation Staysafe, a drive to make sure young people are safe throughout the year. Now parents are being warned to make sure they know where their children are over the Christmas period, when Blackburn Community Safety Partnership usually sees a surge in underage binge drinking.

Vicky Clark, from Blackburn Community Safety Partnership, said: “It’s vitally important that parents keep their children safe over the Christmas period, that they know where they are and make sure they do not have direct access to free flowing alcohol.

“On previous patrols, we have seen children as young as eight-years-old out at 10pm at night without supervision, while much later on in the evening we see a surge in older children hanging out in certain hotspots drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Often their parents have no idea that their children are putting themselves into such a dangerous situation.”

Operation Staysafe is a cross government initiative which forms part of the Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP). Published in July 2008, YCAP set out a comprehensive package of measures to prevent and tackle youth crime through a triple-track approach of tough enforcement, non negotiable support and prevention. Sixty-nine areas across the country are delivering an intensive YCAP package to ensure young people have safe places to go and interesting things to do on Friday and Saturday nights over three years from 2008-2011.

Department for Children, Schools and Families

Drinkers in the UK consume the equivalent of a bottle of wine per week more than they admit, research released today shows.

Analysis from the Centre for Public Health, published by Alcohol Concern, shows that drink surveys used to measure the public’s alcohol consumption grossly underestimate how much people really drink. The difference between survey data and actual sales data reveals that 225 million litres of alcohol per year go unaccounted for. This is equivalent to 430 million units of alcohol per week, or 44 million bottles of wine.

Current high levels of alcohol consumption mean there would need to be a reduction of around 184 million litres of alcohol per year in sales (nearly a 1/3 of all current sales based on 2007/08 data) just for the average consumption of female and male drinkers to fall to 14 units and 21 units per week respectively, the report says.

Calculations of alcohol-related deaths and illnesses, messages about responsible drinking and analyses of the effectiveness of prevention methods all rely on survey data to give an accurate portrayal of the nation’s drinking habits. The report claims that current alcohol surveys are ill-equipped to accurately measure levels of consumption, meaning the future burden of alcohol harm on public services could be much greater than previously thought.

Professor Mark Bellis, Director of the Centre for Public Health and lead author of the work said:

“It is easy to see how so much alcohol can be consumed without actually registering in surveys.

“When asked to think about their drinking, people often ignore occasional heavier drinking sessions, holidays, weddings and other celebrations like Christmas parties.

"Even when people try to remember such occasions, generally the more they have drunk, the more they are likely to forget. As a result, the difference between what people say they drink and sales data on how much is actually bought for consumption is huge.

"Elsewhere more sophisticated tools have been developed to better measure levels of consumption. As individuals and as a nation we urgently need to have more accurate measures of how much alcohol we consume and a better understanding of the harms caused by such consumption.

Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

“If we underestimate our drinking levels, then we’re underestimating the amount of harm we can expect to happen to our families, communities and wider society – as well as how much further we need to go to curb our excessive consumption.

“Poor survey intelligence can result in misinformed policy. Any future government must get to grips with measuring the true scale and nature of this problem if it is to make a difference to reduce alcohol harms.”

Alcohol Concern