The NHS recommends men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day and women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day. 'Regularly' in this context means drinking at this sort of level every day or most days of the week.

So how do you know if you could be drinking more than is good for you?

If you’re worried about your own drinking, take the DrinkCheck quiz. It’ll help you assess the effects of your drinking. And if it suggests you are drinking too much, we can also give you advice on how to drink less.

Drink Test Quiz

What does alcohol do?
Regularly drinking above the recommended limits increases your risk of illness and poor health. Alcohol can be linked to the problems below:
Problems you can’t see include:

• anxiety, stress, depression, poor concentration
• memory loss and brain damage
• liver complaints
• problems with stomach, intestines and bowel such as indigestion and stomach ulcers
• kidney problems
• certain types of cancer including breast cancer
• diabetes
• high blood pressure and risk of stroke
• sexual difficulties such as temporary impotence

Problems you can see include:

• weight gain and obesity
• skin problems including wrinkles, dark circles around they eyes and reddening of the face – ageing you before your time.

What help is available in South Gloucestershire?
South Gloucestershire Drug and Alcohol Services (SGDAS) is an umbrella organisation which delivers drugs advice, counselling, treatment and information services for people living in South Gloucestershire.
South Gloucestershire Drug and Alcohol Service provides services for people 18 and over they also run support groups for parents/carers of people who are misusing substances and can be contacted on:

Tel: 0800 0733 011 (free from a landline or callbox) or Tel: 01454 868750

Parents and Carers

If you are concerned that your son, daughter, or a young person in your care is using drugs or drinking alcohol, the most important thing is not to panic but to have a conversation with them. Try to talk to the young person calmly and find out more about the substances they are using and the impact it is having.
There are lots of sources of advice and information including the FRANK website.  If you need to talk to someone about your concerns or want the young person to get help, you can contact a member of the Safer South Gloucestershire Young People's Drug & Alcohol Services team (Tel: 01454 868763, email ypservice@southglos.gov.uk). You are guaranteed a response within 24 hours.

The team can see a young person to provide advice, information, an assessment, on-going 1:1 counselling and access into more specialist treatment services.

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