Drink wise

The more alcohol you drink the greater your risk of damaging your body, but there is no guaranteed safe level of drinking. However, if you drink below a certain level the risks of harm are reduced.

The risk levels of drinking are classified as:

‘Regularly’ means drinking these amounts every day or most days of the week.

Liver problems, depression, reduced fertility, high blood pressure, increased risk of various cancers and forgetfulness are some of the effects of long-term excessive drinking. Others include:

Addiction

If you feel a regular need to drink, or you drink every day, you may be addicted to alcohol or are at hgh risk of becoming addicted. People with high alcohol tolerance are especially vulnerable to alcohol dependency. If you are concerned about this seek help from your GP or local alcohol advisory service.

Depression

Drinking might cheer you up for a few hours but in the long term it’s more likely to make you feel depressed. Alcohol changes the chemistry of the brain, increasing the risk of depression or making depression worse.

Memory

You may not normally drink enough to have a complete memory blackout, but alcohol, even in smaller amounts, can affect your day-to-day memory. And the more you drink, the more you forget.

Inside your body

Regularly drinking more than the recommended amount increases your risk of developing a number of health problems including cancer, high blood pressure, heart problems, liver damage, stomach inflammation and fertility problems.

If you or someone you know is drinking too much and you’d like help contact your GP.

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Page last updated on July 23rd, 2012