Hounslow Council and its partners are support Alcohol Awareness Week with a range of activities and information-sharing events.
Published: Tuesday, 4th July 2023
Hounslow Council and its community health partners want to get everyone thinking about their drinking as part of this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week.
Alcohol Awareness Week began on Monday, 3 July and there’s lots happening locally to help residents consider the amount of alcohol they consume and provide help with cutting down or quitting.
The national event, organised by Alcohol Change UK, raises awareness about the potentially damaging effects of drinking in excess.
The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Alcohol and Cost’ – focusing not only on the financial worries that can come with excessive alcohol consumption, but also the cost of relationships, and the cost to people’s health and health services.
In 2017, 7,327 people in the UK died as a direct result of their drinking. This is the equivalent of 20 people per day. If every death in which alcohol was a factor was included, the figure is closer to 24,000.
As well as causing enormous harm to individuals and families, alcohol has a significant impact on society, in part through the pressure it places on public services. In England alone, alcohol costs the NHS an estimated £3.5 billion every year.
The Council has teamed up with the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) to stage a series of awareness-raising events during Alcohol Awareness Week.
Wednesday, 5 July
- Bell Square, Hounslow High Street, TW3 3HH - between 10am and 4pm there will be a stall offering information and support on a range of alcohol-related issues along with a free physical health check.
Thursday, 6 July
- Hounslow West Tube Station, Bath Road, TW3 3DH - between 1pm and 4pm there will be the chance for free physical health and wellbeing checks.
Friday, 7 July
- Alice Way Gurdwara, Alice Way, Hounslow, TW3 3UA - between 10am and 4pm there will be a stall offering information and support on alcohol-related issues.
People in Hounslow who are living with alcohol addiction can find support from the borough’s Addiction Recovery Community (ARC).
This free service is coordinated by CNWL and the Council. It works with people at any stage of their alcohol addiction to help them to break the cycle and provide alternative ways of reducing issues such as stress and anxiety that can lead to alcohol addiction.
Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Transformation, Cllr Samia Chaudhary said: “We are encouraging everyone in our borough to think about their drinking as part of the Alcohol Awareness Week.
“The costs of drinking too much can be much more than financial. It can put a great strain on our mental and physical health. It can lead to weight gain and conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, strokes and cancer.
“The activities we have organised for Alcohol Awareness Week can help people to take control of their drinking, which in turn can lead to better health, better sleep and better relationships.”
- You can find out more about Hounslow’s Addiction Recovery Community here.
- You can find out more about Alcohol Awareness Week, including resources to support people who want to reduce their drinking, here.
ENDS
