Alcohol awareness month

This month Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and the Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) will be working together to raise awareness of potential benefits of people making a small reduction in their regular consumption of alcohol.

Trained Health and Social Care (HSC) staff will be raising people’s awareness around alcohol and the benefits of making small changes to their drinking behaviour through the delivery of Alcohol Screening and Brief Interventions (ABIs). ABIs are short (5–10 minute), evidence-based conversation which can help to motivate alcohol behaviour change.

They are aimed at people who are drinking more than the UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk alcohol guidelines. HSC staff and partners will be encouraging people to look at making small, achievable changes to their drinking behaviour. Craig McNally, Argyll and Bute Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) Coordinator said: ‘The Department of Health recommends that men and women drink no more than 14 units per week with at least two alcohol free days.

‘One unit is roughly equivalent to half a pint of standard strength lager, beer or cider; or a 25ml pub measure of spirits. A small, 125ml, glass of wine at 12 per cent Alcohol by Volume (ABV) contains 1.5 units while a large, 250ml, glass can contain in excess of 3.5 units. Many people regularly drink more than recommended units of alcohol without even realising it.’