Survey reveals alcohol wariness

MORE than a quarter of UK drinkers think they should cut down on their alcohol consumption, a new survey has found.

A study of more than 4,000 adults revealed that almost a third (31%) believed they were drinking at increasing or “high risk” levels. Current guidelines on alcohol consumption recommend that adults should drink no more than 14 units per week.

Alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, which conducted the survey, said that a fifth of participants (20%) said they would be taking part in Dry January – a campaign designed to reduce consumption after the holiday period. A further 21% said they intended to take “drink-free” days during the week.

Drinkaware medical adviser Dr Sarah Jarvis said that those that stopped or reduced their consumption may be “pleasantly surprised” by the short and medium effects.

“Alcohol has a huge impact on our bodies,” she said. “Starting with the brain, it can affect concentration, your mood, your anxiety levels. It can make you prone to depression, but it can also affect your relationships.

“It can affect you physically. It can affect our immune systems, our guts, our hearts,” she added.