Alcohol - advice and support

What are the recommended daily limits for alcohol?

Drinking under the recommended daily limit can reduce the risk of health problems in the future…

• Men should not regularly drink more than three to four units a day.
• Women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day.

What are units?

Units are a simple way of expressing the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink.  The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink as well as its alcohol strength.

You can work out the number of units there are in a drink by using this sum:

Multiply strength (ABV) by volume (ml) and divide by 1,000 to get the units or use this unit calculator.

Is drinking harming my health?

Many health risks are connected with drinking. People who are:

• 'lower-risk' drinkers are less likely to cause themselves future harm. This would mean drinking no more than the recommended daily limits.

• 'increasing-risk' drinkers are at risk of increasing harm to their health. This would mean drinking more than three to four units a day on a regular basis if you're a man or more than two to three units a day on a regular basis if you're a woman.

• 'higher-risk' drinkers are at higher risk of causing themselves long-term damage. This would mean drinking more than eight units a day or more than 50 units a week if you are a man or more than six units a day or more than 35 units a week if you are a woman

For more information, visit the NHS choices website.

Where can I get local advice and support to reduce or stop drinking?

For more information about how to reduce your units view our Sensible Drinking Rewards website. To get confidential advice on a range of alcohol treatment options, call ADS Derby free on 0800 051 5857 or drop in at:

ADS Derby Alcohol Misuse Service
St Andrew's House
201 London Road
Derby
DE1 2TZ

Opening times:

• 9.00am to 5.00pm (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday)
• 9.00am to 7.00pm (Tuesday).

Anyone under 21 years old can get help and support by contacting:

Breakout City
8 Curzon Street
Derby
DE1 1RZ

Telephone: 01332 641661