14 Nov Essex County Council highlights risks of dangerous drinking levels
Essex County Council is highlighting the fact that over a quarter of a million of the county’s residents are drinking at risky levels during Alcohol Awareness Week.
Launching on Monday (14 November), the week aims to get people thinking about alcohol, how it affects individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. The week is being coordinated by the national charity, Alcohol Concern, who work to reduce alcohol harm in the UK.
This year’s theme is ‘know the risks’ and will focus on the health risks associated with alcohol misuse. Alcohol 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. It is also one of the three biggest lifestyle risk factors for disease and death in the UK, after smoking and obesity.
As part of this awareness week, Essex County Council is encouraging residents to check how risky their drinking is via its online tool Don’t Bottle it Up: https://dontbottleitup.org.uk/
Cabinet Member for Health, Cllr Graham Butland, said: “Alcohol misuse has a real impact on people’s lives and health. Alcohol Awareness Week is a great opportunity for us to promote the “Don’t Bottle it Up” tool. The tool will give our residents the opportunity to find out their risk level and what they can do about it because people need to know the health dangers associated with alcohol and also where to go for support.”
Ben Hughes, Head of Commissioning for Public Health & Wellbeing, said: “Alcohol Awareness week is a great opportunity for us to showcase what services we offer to those who may need support for their drinking.
“If you aren’t sure whether you need support, or are unsure if you are drinking too much, our quick and free online tool will be able to tell you how risky your drinking is and will direct you to the right support for you.
“Alcohol misuse has a real impact on the lives of all those suffering as well as their friends and family. We want those who may be suffering to know that they are not alone, and there are many support services available in Essex that can help, one of which is the Don’t Bottle it Up tool.”
DontBottleItUp (DBIU) is an innovative alcohol screening, advice, intervention and referral website, leading the field of online alcohol interventions in the UK.
It enables people find out whether their drinking is risky, make a personalised plan to reduce their drinking, and find local support options.
To take the alcohol test and for more information please visit https://dontbottleitup.org.uk/
For more on Alcohol Awareness week visit https://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/alcohol-awareness-week
