Alcohol and drinking

If you are worried about your own alcohol drinking ,or the alcohol abuse or alcohol misuse of someone else drinking, call SIAS on 0121 301 4141. This is a free service.

SIAS (Solihull Integrated Addiction Services) is a partnership of organisations in Solihull that offers easy access to information, support and treatment if:

  • your alcohol use is worrying you
  • the alcohol use of a friend or family member is worrying you

You can refer yourself to SIAS or customers can be referred by healthcare workers:

Contast SIAS

This is a free service.

SIAS offers information and a range of support and treatment options which are tailored for the individual. The help available from SIAS can include:

  • alcohol information and advice
  • drug support and advice
  • 1 to 1 support sessions
  • medically assisted detoxification (detox)
  • long term support

Alcohol limits

People often worry about how much is too much alcohol because:

  • alcohol units are not easy to understand
  • most people drink by the glass

It's recommended to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. That's around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer.

There's no completely safe level of drinking, but sticking within these guidelines lowers your risk of harming your health

In the UK, 1 unit of alcohol is 10ml (millilitres) of pure alcohol. This means that 3 units of alcohol is equal to:

  • a pint and a half of weak (3.5% ABV or below) beer, cider or lager
  • a pint of strong (5% ABV or above) beer, cider or lager
  • a 250ml glass of wine with an ABV of 12%

Doctors also recommend not to drink every day and to have at least 2 alcohol free days each week.

You can read more about alcohol limits on the Change for life website

Binge drinking and no drink days

Drinking too much in one go is known as binge drinking. Providing guidelines and having daily limits helps to highlight the problem.

It is not the only problem with alcohol though. Drinking every day, even if you stick to guidelines and daily limits, can also be harmful to your health.

If you struggle not to drink every day, or you are concerned about a friend, loved one or someone else, call SIAS on 0121 301 4141.

NHS support for drinking problems

The NHS Better Health website has information on alcohol and its effects as well as tips and tools to help watch, control and cut down on your drinking.

Alcohol and life

For many people, alcohol plays a part in their lives and is usually drunk at sensible levels. For some people though, drinking alcohol can become a problem.

Drinking too much booze can damage your health and be a cause of serious accident and injury.

People that are not in control of their alcohol use can also:

  • have no money
  • behave inappropriately
  • suffer severe mood swings
  • lose friendships
  • struggle to find and stay in work
  • have relationship and family problems
  • get into trouble with the police

If you recognise any of these signs in yourself, or in friends, family members and loved ones or someone else, call SIAS on 0121 301 4141.

Top tips for responsible drinking

  • Try to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more - that's around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer.
  • Be aware of unit control and measures when pouring and drinking alcohol at home
  • Be aware of how alcohol affects any medication you are taking
  • Have non-alcoholic drinks in between each alcoholic drink
  • Try lower strength alcoholic drinks
  • Drink from smaller glasses
  • Never drink before driving or operating machinery