Gloucestershire is raising awareness of the true cost of alcohol

The theme for this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week is ‘the true cost of alcohol’. Charity Alcohol Change UK states the total social cost of alcohol to society is estimated to be at least £21 billion each year. That’s not including the tens of thousands of pounds individuals spend on average on alcohol over the course of a lifetime.

But the personal costs are much starker with alcohol death rates increasing to the highest rate since records began, and millions more people suffering from worsened mental and physical health every day because of harmful drinking. The rising cost of living has also played a key role in causing some people to drink more than they’d like to cope with worries around finances.

In support of this year’s national Alcohol Awareness campaign, Gloucestershire County Council is encouraging people to start talking about how much alcohol costs us in the form of health problems, financial worries, relationship breakdown and family difficulties.

Siobhan Farmer, director of public health for Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Alcohol is a topic of both professional and personal significance to me, and it will be the focus of my Annual Report later this year. Of course, it's easy to get the next round in, stay 'for one' or have another glass of wine whilst cooking your tea - but that doesn't mean we can't set realistic targets and some new boundaries with alcohol. The boost to our overall health and well-being speaks for itself. By taking control of our drinking, we can save money, improve our health, have more energy, improve our memory, have better sleep, reduce anxiety, improve our mood, and have better relationships.”

Help and support

In 2021 nearly 300 people in Gloucestershire successfully completed alcohol treatments with more people reaching out for assistance every day.

The Healthy Lifestyles Service has a free course to help you cut down or stop drinking completely. Call 0800 122 3788 for free to start your journey or find out more online at hlsglos.org/programmes/drink-less/

Change Grow Live is Gloucestershire’s alcohol recovery service, supporting those with more complex addiction issues to change their relationship with alcohol and move on with their lives. They provide virtual and in person peer support and group sessions to help with unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Find out about support on offer online at www.changegrowlive.org/advice-info/alcohol-drugs/alcohol-advice-stopping-drinking-reducing

If you’re just curious about the amount of alcohol you drink, take the quiz to see how much you could cut down – you might surprise yourself!

Gloucestershire’s online Support Hub has lots of information on where to find help with finances - www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/your-community/support-hub

Throughout the week, the county council will be sharing tips on what to do if you think you are drinking too much alcohol, how to have a conversation with a friend or family member about their drinking, and how to get support if you are affected by a loved one’s drinking.

Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: “The average UK adult spends a huge amount of money on alcohol in a lifetime. We might expect that we would experience some significant benefits as a result.

“But the truth is that, although alcohol can bring us some short-term pleasure, it can also encourage us to ‘overdo it’, putting our health, relationships, and safety at risk. This can be detrimental to our own physical and mental health and to that of those around us, as well as to our wallets.

“A great way to start is by recording what you drink for a few weeks to help you understand your drinking pattern, then setting yourself some small achievable goals to get it back under control. Use the free app Try Dry to help you keep track and set personalised goals to help you cut down.”

Stats for Gloucestershire:

In 2021, 93 people died from alcoholic liver disease, while 276 people died from alcohol-related incidents. 3560 people were admitted to hospital in Gloucestershire for alcohol specific conditions, and 143 people were admitted for alcohol poisoning alone. Source - Local Alcohol Profiles for England - Data - OHID (phe.org.uk) Data for upper-tier local authorities.