We all enjoy a pint or glass of wine with dinner from time to time.
Some people may find these drinking habits unsustainable. In fact, medics have warned that there could be many more deaths from booze over the next 20 years.
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Even if you don’t think you have a problem with alcohol, it is important to understand your risk. Increased consumption can lead to severe consequences.
This could lead to severe liver problems, digestive issues, and problems with your kidneys.
To find out if you are drinking too much, take the quiz below. Anything above eight indicates that you are drinking dangerously or harmfully.
NHS guidelines suggest people should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week — around 112g of pure alcohol.
However, many Brits are eating more due to the cost of living crisis combined with bad habits created in lockdown.
A University of Sheffield study has found that locked-down habits can cause up to 250,000 deaths in the next 20 years.
According to them, Brits’ behavior could also lead to higher hospital admissions which would put the NHS under greater pressure.
According to Swedish doctors, there is no safe limit on alcohol consumption.
The experts at Linköping University said the term ‘risky drinking’ is used when there is a marked increased risk of negative consequences.
They found that digital solutions such as apps could help people quit booze altogether in a new study.
Associate professor at the Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences at Linköping University, Marcus Bendtsen said participants in the study said it was important for them to reduce their booze intake.
However, he stated that the majority of respondents didn’t know what to do.
“Those who got access to the digital support began to feel more self-assured about how they could go about actually changing their behaviour,”He said.
He stated that current warnings regarding the dangers associated with alcohol are not sufficient to deter people.
If you believe you might have a problem, where can you get help
It is possible to have a problem with alcohol if you are concerned.
If you feel the need for a drink often or get in trouble due to your drinking, this could be the case.
If you’ve been warned by others about the effects of your drink, your GP might be a good place.
You can also go to these other places for help:
Digital support is a method to reach more people in need of help, according to the Guru.
“People who are trying to quit smoking should be supported and encouraged by others. There is stigma attached to quitting drinking alcohol.
“There is a common conception that one should be able to handle one’s own alcohol consumption, and many don’t seek help, even if they want to change their behaviour”He said,
The medics targeted individuals who had looked for information to lower their consumption.
One group was given access to the new tool while the other received access to existing resources.
The new tool can be used to set goals and remind people to drink less.
Prof Bendtsen said: “Those who had access to the digital tool had roughly 25 percent lower alcohol consumption than the group which didn’t, which is a slightly larger effect than we expected.
“This kind of tool won’t change the overall societal situation when it comes to alcohol consumption, but it is a very good tool for individuals who want to change their own lives.”
To make the app available to all, experts are working on it.
It can be tailored to suit individual needs.
What is your score?
Elaine Hindal from charity Drinkaware explains how your score is calculated:
0-7 = Low Risk
Elaine says:If you drink fewer than 14 units a week, you’re at lower risk of dependence on alcohol and of health problems from drinking.
It shouldn’t be hard to cut down if you don’t drink 14 units or more per week.
It is important to not binge drink. It can cause alcohol poisoning, as well as accidents.
You should drink at most 14 units per week. Spread them out with at least three non-alcoholic days each week.
8-15 = Increasing Risk
Elaine says:It’s important for you to know that your pattern of drinking could be dangerous to your health, because you could be drinking more than 14 units a week.
There is a possibility that you could develop serious health problems. This could also increase your chances of becoming dependent on alcohol.
It is time to stop drinking so much.
16-19 = Higher risk
Elaine says:Your health could be at risk if you drink.
Regularly drinking much more than the low-risk guideline of 14 units a week causes serious harm – seven types of cancer (including breast), liver and heart disease, and high blood pressure.
High risk of alcohol dependence could mean you should consider quitting drinking and seeking professional support.
20+ = Possible dependence
Elaine says:Your answers indicate that you consume more alcohol than the 14 units per week recommended by the Low-Risk Guideline. This is a dangerous sign for your health.
It may already be causing problems to your physical or mental health – or both.