HEALTH MATTERS
DR Ian Hulme, clinical lead on substance misuse at NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, and GP with Meadowside Medical Centre, Congleton MANY people enjoy a small tipple from time to time but regularly exceeding the recommended drinking levels can seriously damage your health.
In fact, harmful drinking is the biggest risk factor for death, ill health and disability among 15-49 year olds in the UK, and the fifth biggest risk factor across all ages.
In Eastern Cheshire binge drinking in adults is worse than the national average.
If you’re reading this, you’re thinking about your drinking. Lots of us feel like we’re drinking a bit too much, or too often, or just like we could do with some time off.
Drink-Free Days are the perfect way to reset your relationship with alcohol. It only takes three weeks to break a habit, so this could be your route to happier, healthier drinking long-term.
If you’ve got into a habit of regularly drinking more than the low-risk alcohol unit guidelines, or you are not sure if you drink enough to be ‘at risk’ take a look at drinkaware.co.uk/ little-less to see where your drinking habits fall.
Alcohol contributes to high blood pressure and regularly drinking over the Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines increases the risk of heart disease, heart failure, heart attack and stroke.
But new evidence from the Drinkaware Monitor 2018, a comprehensive analysis of the UK population’s drinking habits from alcohol education charity Drinkaware and YouGov, has found that almost one third (31 per cent) of UK drinkers do not recognise the link between alcohol and heart problems.
In the wake of these figures, Drinkaware is urging people to use this year as an opportunity to assess their drinking and make simple changes like taking several Drink-Free Days each week.
Reducing the amount that you drink can help you: • Sleep better • Lose weight • Save money.
Alcohol is linked with more than 60 health conditions including liver disease, high blood pressure, depression and seven types of cancer.
In fact, alcohol is the biggest cause of death for people aged 15-49 in the UK.
Cutting back on alcohol reduces your risk of developing these conditions.
The UK’s top doctors (they’re called Chief Medical Officers) recommend drinking no more than 14 units per week, spread over three or more days, and with at least two days off. WE can look forward to great things for our area in 2019.
Every day, I get to work with local people, businesses and organisations. We see how our contributions will make a difference:
Micro-investments in Macclesfield like new town centre signage.
Investment in parks, playgrounds and projects to get kids playing out again.
A new town ranger ensuring the cleaning and repair of our public spaces.
Community-led initiatives like parkrun and Space4Autism show that when we wish ‘health and happiness for everyone’ Macclesfield means it.
Working together makes it easier to realise our resolutions. However, we need the government to make some pledges too.
If we shop local, the government must not let towns fail.
If we make Macclesfield greener, the government should be braver, taking action on climate change.
If we help police or volunteer in hospitals, they should not continue cutting professional nurses or bobbies on the beat.
Before Cheshire East Council makes large profits from car park charges, it should invest in better buses, electric car charging-points and safer roads for our motorcyclists and cyclists.
When we help at homeless shelters or foodbanks, the government must stop people being evicted in the first place.
They must guarantee our rights and protections so those with pensions, low incomes or disabilities don’t go hungry.
When we organise our Chinese New Year celebrations next month, we celebrate our place on the Silk Road - open to the world with strong economic links. Opportunities for us to travel and do business.
We are entering new territory, we need to inspire people to work together again despite a divisive and disastrous Brexit, to encourage business back and properly invest in our communities.
We know what our area needs. That’s why Macclesfield Labour is working, locally and nationally, to bring us the future we all want.