For Alcohol Awareness week North East Derbyshire District Council is putting a spotlight on alcohol harm and how it affects more people than we realise
Alcohol Awareness Week is managed and hosted by UK charity Alcohol Change UK and runs from 1 to 7 July 2024.
We are encouraging people to get involved in this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week by talking about the ways in which alcohol harm affects us, and how this ripples out to our families, friends, communities and broader society. You can share your experiences using the hashtag #AlcoholAwarenessWeek.
As part of the campaign, Alcohol Change UK will be shining a light on the centre-stage role that alcohol plays in our lives – where it’s promoted as we watch our favourite sports, advertised as we travel to work, and strategically placed in our favourite films and TV shows.
Yet alcohol is harming our health and wellbeing on a daily basis, from the quality of the sleep we’re getting, to our relationships with those we love. And each year, thousands of people experience long-term health problems as a result of the alcohol they drink, or die from alcohol-related causes.
But this is preventable. It’s time for alcohol to stop playing such a centre-stage role in our lives and in our society. By opening up conversations about alcohol harm and helping to reduce it, we can create an environment where it’s easier for us to make more informed choices about our drinking.
North East Derbyshire District Council has factsheets and Online Tools below for you to use.
Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, said:
“Many of us don’t realise that consuming alcohol directly harms our health and negatively affects our friends, our partners, our children and our wider society. The reality is that over 10 million of us are drinking alcohol in a way that can cause health problems. Health harms do not just affect the heavy or dependent drinkers that we often think about.
“But because of the centre-stage role that alcohol currently plays in our lives and society – with it being all around us, everywhere we go – it can be hard to cut back. By taking a minute to learn more about the harms of alcohol and by supporting better national regulations to prevent these harms, we can make life better for us all.”
It is easy to take part in Alcohol Awareness Week. Join us by:
- Sharing your experiences, events and activities on social media using the hashtag #AlcoholAwarenessWeek and tagging @AlcoholChangeUK.
- Visit the Alcohol Change UK website to share across the week.
- Use the Alcohol Change UK resources to highlight the issues and drive a conversation in your community. Please see the links below for Factsheets and Online Tools.
Factsheets
- Alcohol harm mythbusting – Alcohol Change’s new mythbusting hub will be live in readiness for Alcohol Awareness Week
- Alcohol and your body
- Am I drinking too much?
- Tips for cutting down
- Support with your drinking
- Supporting a loved one
Online Tools
Alcohol Awareness Week
Alcohol Awareness Week is a chance for the UK to get thinking about drinking. It is a week of awareness raising, campaigning for change, and more. This year the week takes place from 1-7 July 2024 on the theme of ‘Understanding alcohol harm’.
Alcohol Change UK
Alcohol Change UK works for a society that is free from the harm caused by alcohol. It creates evidence-driven change by working towards five key changes: improved knowledge, better policies and regulation, shifted cultural norms, improved drinking behaviours, and more and better support and treatment. Find out more: www.alcoholchange.org.uk/