Type=image;ImageID=11314;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Promoting Alcohol Awareness Week;TitleClass=strong;
Alcohol trainers from the City of Wolverhampton Council's Healthy Lifestyles Team met dozens of shoppers at the Wulfrun Centre on Friday (18 November, 2016), and discussed the impact of drinking too much.
People were encouraged to play a scratchcard game to find out how much alcohol they consume on a regular basis, while special goggles were used to replicate the feeling of being drunk so that people could see what impact it has on them doing simple tasks such as walking in a straight line.
Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "Alcohol Awareness Week was a good opportunity for our Healthy Lifestyles Team to offer advice and guidance to people about drinking.
"Those that took part are now better informed of the risks they or someone they know face, and were provided with ways to receive more support if they wanted it, whether that be through information leaflets, resources on the internet or a one to one appointment with one of our health trainers to make lifestyle changes.
"Although Alcohol Awareness Week has now ended, it is important people remain motivated to avoid risks posed by drinking and so we are encouraging people to sign up to Dry January, Alcohol Concern's annual campaign to abstain for alcohol throughout the first month of the year.
"Research has shown that temporary abstinence from alcohol can bring many benefits, including losing weight, having more energy and better sleep and saving serious money."
Guidance on recommended limits of alcohol was updated earlier this year to state that men and women who drink regularly should consume no more than 14 units a week - the equivalent of 6 pints of beer or 7 standard glasses of wine. Pregnant women should not drink at all.
It also says if people do drink, they should do so moderately over 3 or more days and that some days should be alcohol free.
Anyone who is concerned about their, or someone else's drinking, can get information, and support by logging onto Type=articles;Articleid=3289;Title=Drink Less;, which also offers an alcohol self assessment tool and a Drinks Tracker app to monitor how much they are consuming, or by texting DRINK to 07747 532898 or calling the City of Wolverhampton Council's Healthy Lifestyles Team on 01902 553838.
To find out more about Dry January and Alcohol Awareness Week, please visit Type=links;Linkid=7746;Title=Alcohol Concern;Target=_blank;.
Caption: Promoting Alcohol Awareness Week were Olly Harman, Volunteer Recovery Support Worker with Wolverhampton Service User Involvement Team, Emma Vaughan, James Billingham and Samuel Skelding from Wolverhampton Healthy Lifestyles Team, Helen Kilgallon, Programme Manager at drug and alcohol misuse service Recovery Near You, and Ros Jervis, Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health
- Released: Thursday 24 November, 2016