London,
10
November
2021
|
09:13
Europe/London

City workers and residents encouraged to know their limits

This year’s Alcohol Awareness Week (15 – 21 November) is urging people to review how much they drink and if they are concerned about their intake, to seek further advice or help.

During Alcohol Awareness Week, staff from the City and Hackney Integrated Recovery Service will run special engagement activities for residents and workers.

The annual, UK-wide campaign aims to raise awareness of how easy it is to drink too much alcohol, and to remind people of some of the risks of alcohol.

Regularly drinking above the low-risk guidelines increases your risk of long-term physical and psychological health conditions and because of the high number of calories in alcoholic drinks, it often contributes towards weight gain. In the short term, drinking alcohol can affect sleep quality, reduce productivity, and cause low mood after the initial effects of drinking wear off.

Deputy Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Community and Children’s Services Committee, Randall Anderson, said:

“Unless they have a strict rule about not drinking during the week, many people would be surprised by how much alcohol they consume, and it is very easy to exceed the recommended 14 units for men and women, and to underestimate the risks involved.

“My colleagues and I would urge anyone worried about their alcohol intake or perhaps even, just curious about their, or others’, units, to talk to their GP or get information or advice from their local services in the City of London.”

According to Alcohol Change (www.alcoholchange.org.uk), which runs Alcohol Awareness Week, 24% of adults in England and Scotland regularly drink over the Chief Medical Officer’s low-risk guidelines, with alcohol misuse being the biggest risk factor for death, poor health, and disability among 15 - 49-year-olds in the UK.


ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Andrew Buckingham, Media Officer (Public Services), City of London Corporation

T: 07795 333060 / E: andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk