Excess alcohol can spoil Festive season warn PHA

People are looking forward to celebrating with family, friends and work colleagues, however, if you choose to drink it’s easy to lose track of how much alcohol you are consuming.

The PHA’s Drugs and Alcohol lead Owen O’Neill said: “Christmas is a great time to relax and meet up with people to celebrate, but it is very easy to overindulge. Excess alcohol can spoil the holiday for not only you but also for your family. We are asking that people set limits for themselves and keep an eye on how many drinks they are having.”

It is recommended that men drink no more than three to four units of alcohol a day, and no more than 21 units over a week. For women, it is recommended that they drink no more than two to three units of alcohol a day, and no more than 14 units over the course of the week. Remember, for each unit you drink over the daily limit, the risk to your health increases.

Binge drinking can have a major impact on health, such as causing damage to the liver, heart, brain and stomach. It can also have a major impact on relationships.“You can’t ‘save up’ your units for a particular day or a party, so if you do choose to drink over the festive period, your consumption should be spread over the week,” said Owen.“Alcohol can also have an impact on your mental health, and if you are hung over you can feel anxious and low. Some people may feel down over Christmas and drinking can make this worse.”