Me, enjoying a nice pint on the Isle of Wight in 2011
Following on from last years publication by the UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) recommending that men should not regularly drink more than 3–4 units of alcohol a day and women should not regularly drink more than 2–3 units a day, tonight see’s the launch of a new TV advertising campaign.
‘Regular Drinking’ is defined by the Department of Health as drinking every day or most days of the week. In addition to its guidance on the amount of alcohol it is safe to drink per day, the Department of Health also advise us to take a break for 48 hours after a heavy drinking session. Doctors say the government’s alcohol guidelines could be improved to ensure they do not sanction daily drinking.
The new TV campaign focuses on people drinking “just a little more than they should” and how this puts people at risk of serious illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer. It warns that regularly drinking two large glasses of wine or two strong pints of beer a day triples mouth cancer risk and doubles high blood pressure risk.
Units don’t work like reward points - You can’t store them up for a big night out. Drinking large amounts in one go does additional physical damage.
In addition to the Change4Life campaign, the government released details of a poll of 2,100 people looking at what was known about the risks linked to drinking too much. Among the findings, the poll revealed 85% of those questioned did not realise it increases the risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, 66% did not know it increases bowel cancer risk, 59% did not known about the raised risk of mouth, throat and neck cancer and 37% did not realise it reduces fertility.
The campaign, which also has a website and leaflets offering tips on how to drink less – such as having booze-free days or just using smaller glasses.
Chief Medical Officer for England Prof Dame Sally Davis said:
“Drinking too much is a major public health issue. This campaign highlights how easy it can be to use a glass of wine or beer to unwind at the end of a busy day but these drinks stack up and can increase your risk of high blood pressure, cancer or liver disease.”
Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “An estimated 10 million Britons drink more than the recommended limits for alcohol, which puts one in five of us at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and weight gain.
“There’s absolutely no reason why we can’t all enjoy our favourite tipple in moderation, but don’t underestimate the health risks when one glass becomes two or three on a regular basis.”
And Sarah Lyness, of Cancer Research UK, said:
“Alcohol can increase the risk of seven types of cancer, including two of the commonest kinds – breast and bowel cancers.
“And a recent study showed that nearly 12,500 cancers in the UK each year are caused by alcohol.
“The risk of cancer starts to go up even at quite low levels of drinking, but the more people cut back on alcohol, the more they can reduce the risk.”
Well if the advise on how to be health is to drink a bit less and regularly take a few days off alcohol then hopefully my year without beer will be doing me some good! Why help your health by donating the price of a drink or 2 to Cancer Research UK or the Cystic Fibrosis Trust!
Buy Me a Pint!
For those of you looking to support my Year Without Beer, here are a couple of options…
To donate to Cancer Research UK please click here to visit my just giving page or donate by text – send AYWB66 and the amount to 70070. For example, texting “AYWB66 £5″ will donate £5.
To donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust please click here to visit my just giving page or donate by text – send AYWB55 and the amount to 70070. For example, texting “AYWB55 £5″ will donate £5.
Food Matters (2008) – Prevent Illness, Reverse Disease & Maintain Optimal Health… Naturally
The last 24 hours have been interesting on the red wine front. Firstly I would like to thank my wonderful wife, brother and sister in law for polishing off 2 bottles of red last night. To be honest I had a great night as it is always nice to catch up with my family. My wife was more than happy too – after being my chauffeur while pregnant with our daughter I think she sees this year as a good opportunity to have me return the favour. I get the feeling she will be trying to make the most of my year of sobriety and probably enjoying the wine and beer even more knowing that she won’t have to worry about getting me home!
Food Inc (2008) – You’ll never look at dinner the same way again