Concerned about your own or someone else’s drinking

You can take the Drink Checker test to see how much you’re drinking.

Here are some helpful tips for safer drinking:

• Try not to drink during the day – wait until “after work” or the evening

• Try to drink with food – have one or two drinks with your meal, so the food absorbs some of the alcohol

• Stick to just 1 or 2 standard drinks per day you drink

• Try and have at least 3 days off – and plan these days ahead

• Don’t save your drinks for a binge drinking session at the weekend – binge drinking is bad for your health

• If you’re chatting with friends online in the evenings, try alcohol free drinks on some nights

Advice for people who drink 15 to 30 units a day

If you drink between 15 and 30 units a day (half a bottle of spirits OR one and a half bottles of wine OR 6 pints of regular strength beer OR 3 cans super lager OR 2 litres of strong cider), you should try to cut down your alcohol consumption.

If you have not had serious withdrawal complications (for example seizures or delirium tremens) in the past, you can cut down gradually to manage withdrawal symptoms. If you start to experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms (sweating, shaking anxiety, nausea), this means you are cutting down too rapidly.

Ask a family member, friend, or Kingston Wellbeing Service to support you as you cut down.

If any of these serious complications occur, call 999 immediately or go to A&E for urgent medical help.

Advice for people who drink more than 30 units a day

You should not try to stop drinking without help from Kingston Wellbeing Service or your doctor if:

• you drink more than 30 units a day (one bottle of spirits OR 3 bottles of wine OR 12 pints of normal strength beer OR 7 cans of 9% super lager OR 4 litres of strong cider)

• have epilepsy, unstable liver disease, have had seizures (fits), or have seen, heard or felt things that were not there (hallucinations or delirium tremens) when withdrawing from alcohol

Instead, try to drink steadily (without binges or days without alcohol) and contact Kingston Wellbeing Service for information, advice and support over the phone with a specialist member of staff.