How to Reduce Alcohol Harm and Enjoy your Christmas
We all like to enjoy ourselves at Christmas, but it can be very easy to drink more alcohol than we intend to! To stay safe and reduce the harm alcohol could cause, here are TEN TIPS to remember to help stay within safe alcohol limits…
- DO have at least two or more ‘alcohol-free’ days per week. Try to do something active on your days off, like go for a walk or meet a friend for a cuppa.
- On the days you do drink, DO try to stay within safe alcohol unit levels – 2-3 each day for women, 3-4 each day for men.
- DO look out for the % ABV on drinks labels when buying alcohol. There are some really good quality lower strength alcoholic drinks available. The lower the % ABV the less harm it can cause!
- DO keep an eye on the measures you pour if drinking at home. The more you pour, the higher the units!
- When drinking alcohol, DO alternate with soft drinks. This will help you stay hydrated and control your intake of alcohol.
- DON’T start drinking on an empty stomach. Eat something to help absorb the alcohol at a slower rate and keep you in control of how much you’re drinking.
- DO stay fire safe this Christmas! DON’T start cooking after you’ve been drinking and if you smoke, DO put your cigarettes are out properly.
- If you are heading out for the evening, DO make sure you know how you are getting home BEFORE you go out. If you are heading home alone, make sure you get there with a reputable taxi firm or someone you trust.
- DON’T EVER drink and drive.
- DON’T be scared to ask for help if you are worried about your drinking. There are a range of services out there to help you.
The 55+ Project is a partnership with Addiction NI and Causeway Rural & Urban Network and we operate across the Northern Trust area. We provide a specialist information, support and counselling service to people over the age of 55 affected by their or someone else’s alcohol use. Our FREE support and counselling service can be delivered in your own home, or in a community venue of your choice. We operate an open referrals system where you can refer yourself or ask a family member, a friend, GP or other health professionals to do it for you. If the referral is from a third party, all we ask is that the person who is being referred has given their consent. To access the service, please contact Addiction NI on Tel: 028 90664434 or email: enquiries@addictionni.com / website: www.addictionni.com
The 55+ project also offers FREE alcohol awareness and resilience training sessions for individuals, community group members and practitioners. The sessions are interactive and fun and are aimed at raising awareness about the impact of alcohol. If you would like a session delivered to your staff or group, please contact Nicola Greer, Training & Development Officer, based at Causeway Rural & Urban Network on Tel: 028 7034 4934 or email: nicola@crun.org
