Alcohol and smoking advice

Alcohol and smoking advice

ALCOHOL ADVICE

Your screening score suggests you are drinking at a rate that increases your risk of harm and you might be at risk of problems in the future.

Score	Risk	What this means	Common effects
1-4 on AUDIT-C*	Low risk drinking	Adults who don’t regularly drink more than 14 units per week, spread over three or more days, are at low risk of harm from drinking.	– Increased relaxation – Sociability – Sensory enjoyment of alcoholic drinks
5-7 on AUDIT-C*	Increased risk drinking	Drinking in this way raises your long-term risk of ill health.	Progressively increasing risk of: – Low energy – Relationship problems – Depression – Insomnia – Impotence – Injury – High blood pressure – Breast, mouth and throat cancers – Alcohol dependence – Liver disease
8-10 on AUDIT-C*	Higher risk drinking	Drinking in this way is likely to be affecting your health or wellbeing in some way already
11-12 on AUDIT-C*	Possibly dependent	Your drinking may have become quite problematic and further assessment by an alcohol specialist is advised.

*Short 3 question AUDIT questionnaire.

What do you think?

There is no completely safe level of drinking, but by sticking within these guidelines, you can lower your risk of harming your health:

• Adults are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
• If you do drink as much as 14 units in a week, spread this out evenly over 3 or more days.
• If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all.

This is one unit…

Half pint of “regular” beer, lager or cider

Half a small glass of wine

1 single measure of spirits

1 small glass of sherry

1 single measure of aperitifs

…and each of these is more than one unit

A pint of “regular” beer, lager or cider

A pint of “strong” or “premium” beer, lager or cider

Alcopop or a 275ml bottle of regular lager

440ml can of “regular” lager or cider

440ml can of “super strength” lager

250ml glass of wine (12%)

Bottle of wine (12%)

For more detailed information on calculating units see-www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/alcohol-units.aspx

The potential benefits of cutting down
Physiological/Social/Financial

• Improved mood
• Improved relationships
• More time for hobbies and interests
• Reduced risk of drink driving
• Save money

Physical

• Sleep better
• More energy
• Lost weight
• Reduced risk of injury
• Improved memory
• Better physical shape
• Reduced risk of high blood pressure
• Reduced risk of cancer
• Reduced risk of liver disease
• Reduced risk of brain damage

Calories in alcohol
Too much booze can really pile on the pounds. If you drink 10 pints a week, you could be taking on more than 120,000 calories a year. And there are more calories in a single measure of spirits than in the same volume of single cream. So if you cut back you’ll start to feel in better shape.

Drink	Calories (kcal)	Food equivalent
A standard glass (175ml) of 12% wine	126kcal	1 Cadbury Heroes miniature bar
A pint of 5% strength beer	215kcal	1 packet of McCoy’s salted crisps
A standard bottle (330ml) of 5% alcopop	237kcal	3 lees teacakes

Making your plan

• When bored or stressed have a workout instead of drinking
• Avoid going to the pub after work
• Plan activities and tasks at those times you would usually drink
• When you do drink, set yourself a limit and stick to it
• Have your first drink after starting to eat
• Quench your thirst with non-alcohol drinks before and in-between alcoholic drinks
• Avoid drinking in rounds or in large groups
• Switch to low alcohol beer/lager
• Avoid or limit the time spent with “heavy” drinking friends

For further advice with Alcohol issues: Swanswell Recovery Partnership Single Point of Access: 0300 303 8200 Alcoholics Anonymous: 0121 211 0111 www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

If you think you may be physically dependent it is not advisable to suddenly stop drinking without first seeking specialist advice and guidance.
If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999 via the main hospital switchboard for advice.

Get Support to Help You Stop Smoking
Did you know that you are up to 4 times more likely to quit smoking successfully if you use the NHS Stop Smoking Service and stop smoking medicines than if you try to quit using willpower alone?

Health benefits
Stopping smoking may seem impossible however, with the right support; you can become a non-smoker for good.

Here are 10 ways your health will improve when you stop smoking:

• After 20 minutes your blood pressure and pulse return to normal
• After 24 hours your lungs start to clear
• After 2 days your body is nicotine-free and your sense of taste and smell improve
• After 3 days you can breathe more easily, and your energy increases
• After two to twelve weeks, your circulation improves
• After three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing improves
• After one year your heart attack risk is half that of a smoker
• After ten years your lung cancer risk is half that of a smoker
• Stopping smoking could also mean a reduction in the amounts of medication required

What will quitting be like?
From the moment you stop smoking, your body starts its recovery process. During this time you may find that you experience some nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms. You may still have the urge to smoke and you may feel a little restless, irritable, frustrated or tired. Some people also find that they have difficulty sleeping or concentrating. These symptoms will pass.

Remember, you’re changing your life by quitting. You’ll save money, improve your health and help those closest to you to be healthy as well. Focusing on the positives will help you to stay stopped while the withdrawal and recovery symptoms pass.

If you want help to stop smoking
You can go to a local pharmacy for information and advice about quitting and nicotine replacement therapies. Have a look at these websites for tips on how to quit:

• NHS Smokefree (http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree)
• NHS Choices – Stop Smoking

Smokefree has lots of free support to help you stop for good. Choose from smart phone app, email programme or text messages that will help keep you focused wherever you are.
Call the free Smokefree National Helpline to speak to a trained, expert adviser.
Call now: 0300 123 1044

This brief advice is based on the “How Much Is Too Much?” Simple Structured Advice Intervention Tool, developed by Newcastle University and the Drink Less materials originally developed at the University of Sydney as part of a W.H.O. collaborative study.

More information is available from One You: www.nhs.uk/oneyou

Patient Experience
We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you.

Feedback
Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:
Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: [email protected]

Opening times:
The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 4.30pm and Friday: 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that a voicemail service is in use at busy times, but messages will be returned as quickly as possible.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

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