Alcohol Awareness Week: Understanding Alcohol Harm

As we mark Alcohol Awareness Week from 1st to 7th July, it's time to reflect on the pervasive role alcohol plays in our society and the significant harm it causes. Coordinated by Alcohol Change UK, this week is dedicated to raising awareness, campaigning for change, and encouraging a national conversation about alcohol use and its far-reaching impacts.

Understanding Alcohol Harm

Alcohol often takes centre stage in people's lives. It's promoted during favourite sports events, advertised on commutes, and featured in films and TV shows. We turn to it in times of celebration, commiseration, and coping. Yet, the harmful effects of alcohol on our health and wellbeing are profound and far-reaching.

From disrupting sleep and straining relationships to causing long-term health issues and premature deaths, alcohol’s impact is pervasive. This Alcohol Awareness Week, we are diving deep into what we mean by 'alcohol harm' and challenging the stereotype of alcohol as merely an individual's problem. Instead, we aim to highlight its broader implications on families, communities, healthcare workers, and emergency services.

The Broader Impact of Alcohol

Alcohol does not harm individuals in isolation. It affects families, communities, and public services. Recognising this, we must discuss alcohol's role in our society and how we can mitigate its harm through better policies and cultural shifts. With appropriate regulation, clearer labelling, improved support and treatment, and a culture prioritising people over alcohol, we can protect and enhance our shared public services.

Categories of Alcohol Use

Understanding the various levels of alcohol use is essential in addressing the issue comprehensively. Here are the key categories:

• Non-Drinker: Individuals who do not consume alcohol.
• Low-Risk Drinking: Consuming no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread evenly over three or more days.
• Hazardous Drinking: Drinking more than 14 units but less than 50 units per week for men and 35 units for women. Approximately 24% of adults in England and Scotland drink at this level, with higher rates in less deprived areas.
• Alcohol-Use Disorder: A pattern of drinking where men consume at least 50 units and women 35 units per week, further divided into harmful drinking and alcohol dependence.

Alcohol-Use Disorder: Harmful Drinking and Dependence

• Harmful Drinking:This involves a pattern of alcohol consumption causing direct health problems, including psychological issues, accidents, and physical illnesses such as pancreatitis, high blood pressure, cirrhosis, heart disease, and cancers.
• Alcohol Dependence: Characterised by craving, tolerance, and an obsession with alcohol, despite its harmful effects. It affects over 600,000 individuals in the UK.

Alcohol Withdrawal

Alcohol withdrawal occurs when someone dependent on alcohol abruptly stops or significantly reduces their intake. Symptoms, as defined by ICD-11, include autonomic hyperactivity (sweating, tachycardia, hypertension), tremors, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, agitation, mood changes, sensory illusions or hallucinations, and distractibility. Severe cases can lead to seizures or delirium.

Signs and Symptoms: These include physical signs like tachycardia, dilated pupils, and sweating; motor symptoms like tremors and seizures; awareness issues like insomnia and agitation; and psychiatric symptoms like hallucinations and paranoia.

Management: The primary treatment for acute alcohol withdrawal is benzodiazepines. Other treatments may include antiemetics for nausea, intravenous fluids, and, in severe cases, parenteral medication. Further details regarding the management of alcohol withdrawal in police custody can be found in Detainees with substance use disorders in police custody: Guidelines for clinical management (fifth edition).

Conclusion

This Alcohol Awareness Week, let's commit to understanding and addressing the broad impacts of alcohol harm. By fostering a culture of awareness and implementing supportive policies, we can significantly reduce the negative effects of alcohol on our health and society.

Join the conversation, spread the word, and be part of the change. For more resources and information, visit Alcohol Change UK. Together, we can create a healthier, more informed future.

Let's get the UK thinking about drinking and its impact on our lives.