Alcohol & safer drinking

Drinking alcohol is a risk to health. The NHS recommend anyone drinking should stay within safer limits. 

For those aged 18+, this is no more than 2-3 units per day, with no more than 14 units in a week. 

For young people, there is no safe limit.

Instant Expert: Find out how many units and calories there are in any alcoholic drink from Drinkaware.

You should not drink if you are:

• Driving - this is against the law
• Pregnant, or think you might be pregnant
• If you are working or studying

Whenever anyone drinks alcohol there is a risk of harm. 

Stay safe when drinking:

• Always know how you're getting home
• Don't get persuaded into drinking more than you want to
• Watch out for your friends and don't get isolated, particularly when going home 

If you’re drinking you need to know about safety. As well as things like personal safety and drinking guidelines, this includes drugs, consent, sexual health and emergency contraception.

Crucial: If you are drinking in a pub or bar, you should be aware of the risk of drink spiking. Drink spiking is when somebody adds a substance to a drink or buys someone a very strong drink, in order to get them drunk. If you are in a public bar and think that your drink has been spiked, you can tell staff and ask for help. You might hear this called Ask for Angela. You can find out more about drink spiking from The Mix. 

What the law says:

It is illegal to sell anyone under 18 alcoholic drinks. It is illegal to buy anyone under 18 alcoholic drinks in most situations. It is illegal to drink in most public places. 

The police can confiscate alcoholic drinks from anyone aged under 18, or anyone over 18 if they think they are going to give the drink to someone under 18. 

Bars or shops which serve or sell alcohol to children under 18 can be fined or closed.

Crucial: Adults who supply alcohol to young people may be trying to harm or abuse you, even if they say it is a gift. Find out more about Criminal Exploitation and Child Sexual Exploitation.

Alcohol dependence

Anyone drinking alcohol regularly is at risk of harm to health and dependence. 

The effects of drinking too much alcohol are severe. They include:

• Heart failure
• Damage to your liver 
• Damage to the brain and nervous system

People who become addicted to alcohol are at risk of bad health outcomes. They are also at risk of problems with jobs, money, family, home and the law.

Take action: If anyone in your family is suffering from alcohol dependence, you can request support from Cranstoun Here4YOUth. They will help you with the negative effects of living with someone who is dependent on substances (drugs and/or alcohol). 

Help with drinking too much

If the person drinking too much is you, support is available. Asking for help early reduces harm from drinking. 

There are lots of ways to get support, including:

• Speaking with your GP or School Health Nurse
• Calling the NACOA helpline
• Cranstoun Here4YOUth

Families where someone is misusing substances are at risk, but support is available for families in need, to help them solve problems together.