People who are making it their New Year's resolution to cut down on the amount of alcohol they drink in 2017 - or even give up entirely - are being encouraged to take part in Dry January.
Alcohol Concern's annual campaign to abstain from alcohol throughout the first month of the year kicks off on Sunday (1 January). More than 1 in 6 adults attempted to give up drinking during last year's event.
Guidance on recommended limits of alcohol states that men and women who drink regularly should consume no more than 14 units a week - the equivalent of 6 pints of beer or 7 standard glasses of wine. Pregnant women should not drink at all. If people do drink as much as 14 units a week, they should do so moderately over 3 or more days and that some days should be alcohol free.
Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "It is important people who want to avoid the risks posed by alcohol are motivated to do so, and so if you are thinking of cutting back or even trying to quit drinking, Dry January is the perfect opportunity to give it a go.
"The latest medical advice makes it clear that drinking any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk for anyone, but if men and women limit their intake to no more than 14 units a week it reduces the risk of illness like cancer and liver disease. The guidance also says that pregnant women should avoid alcohol entirely as a precaution.
"Research has shown that temporary abstinence from alcohol can bring many benefits, including losing weight, having more energy and better sleep and saving serious money. The benefits of giving up alcohol entirely are even greater.
"I'd encourage anyone who thinks they may have had one too many over the Christmas holidays to take up the challenge and see if they can enjoy a Dry January, and a happy and healthy new year."
Anyone who is concerned about their, or someone else's drinking, can get information and support by logging onto Type=articles;Articleid=3289;Title=Drink Less;, which also offers an alcohol self assessment tool and a Drinks Tracker app to monitor how much they are consuming, or by texting DRINK to 07747 532898 or calling the City of Wolverhampton Council's Healthy Lifestyles Team on 01902 553838.
To find out more about Dry January, please visit Type=links;Linkid=7746;Title=Alcohol Concern;Target=_blank;.
- released: Wednesday 28 December, 2016