Is your drinking starting to feel like too much?
For many of us, having a drink is part of celebrating, relaxing, or unwinding after a busy day. But over time we may notice our alcohol intake increasing and find it hard to cut back.
If you’re thinking about reducing how much you drink or want help stopping altogether, our AlcoholWise support programme can help.
The UK’s alcohol guidelines recommend no more than 14 units of alcohol a week spread evenly across three days or more. That’s roughly:
- 6 pints of lager (4% strength)
- 6 175ml glasses of wine (13% strength).
Understanding alcohol units
| Drink (and measure) | Units | ABV percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A shot of spirit | 1 unit | 40% ABV |
| A bottle of beer/lager/cider | 1.5 units | 4.5% ABV |
| Pint of beer/lager/cider | 2.2 units | 4% ABV |
| A small glass of wine (175ml) | 2.2 units | 4% ABV |
| A large glass of wine (250ml) | 3.1 units | 12.5% ABV |
| Bottle of wine (750ml) | 9.8 units | 13% ABV |
Drinking more than the recommended limit of 14 units a week can lead to:
- trouble sleeping or feeling tired all the time
- mood swings or increased anxiety
- poor concentration or memory lapses
- changes in weight or general health.
If you’re noticing any of these, it might be time to take a closer look at your drinking habits.
Take the AlcoholWise test.
Cutting back can make a big difference and help you to:
- Feel more energised and focused
- Improve your sleep and mood
- Protect your long-term health
- Save money and take control of your habits.
This quick, anonymous test helps you understand your drinking habits and what kind of support could help.
You’ll get a personalised score that shows whether your level of drinking is a low, medium, high or very high risk to your health, and advice on next steps.
Here’s what your score means:
-
Low risk – You’ll get simple tips to stay on track and drink within safe limits.
-
Medium risk – We’ll suggest you access support from our AlcoholWise programme to help you cut down.
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High or very high risk – You’ll be signposted to the i-access service for specialist advice on reducing safely.
Take the AlcoholWise Test to understand your drinking and find the right support for you.
AlcoholWise is a free NHS support programme run by the specialist team at i-access. It’s designed to help people who drink more than the recommended limit but don’t experience physical withdrawal symptoms when they stop.
The programme offers up to six telephone-based sessions with an experienced alcohol worker. These sessions are flexible and tailored to your goals - whether you want to cut down or stop drinking altogether.
We can help you:
• Set realistic goals for reducing or stopping your drinking
• Identify triggers and manage cravings
• Build new habits and feel more in control
You must be aged 18 or over and live in Surrey to use this service.
If you do experience withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, sweating or feeling unwell after a few hours without alcohol it’s important to reduce your drinking safely. Find support for alcohol dependence here.
