Although alcohol is part of the social life of many people in Scotland, sometimes this leads people to forget the harm it can cause to physical and mental health. Whilst some individuals drink alcohol in moderation, alcohol consumption has far reaching and often devastating consequences for individuals, families, communities and Scotland as a whole.
There is clear evidence that the risk of a range of physical and mental health harms increase as alcohol use increases. In the short term alcohol use can result in accidental injury for people who are intoxicated or lead to alcohol poisoning when someone has consumed large amounts of alcohol. In the longer term, drinking excessively can lead to a range of significant health harms and alcohol related conditions through irreversible damage to parts of the body such as the liver and brain.
Risks and Harms
For more information on the potential risks and harms linked with exceeding alcohol guidelines.
Guidelines
Support
If you are concerned about your own, or someone else’s alcohol use then you can find more information about low risk drinking levels, tips for cutting down, and what support services are in your local area. There are also services that support individuals and families caring for someone with problematic alcohol use.
Nationally and locally we are committed to tackling alcohol related harms. Scotland has six public health priorities, and priority 4 focusses on reducing the use of and harm from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
More information about priority 4 and the related local and national strategies can be found in our DHP report. Linked to the public health priorities the Scottish Government produced the Alcohol Framework: Preventing Harm (2018) which aims to reduce consumption, support families and communities and support positive attitudes and choices. This framework has alcohol-specific prevention measures which focus on tackling affordability and sales, availability and attractiveness and education and awareness raising.
To learn more about some of these topics:
Within Ayrshire & Arran we have three local Alcohol & Drug Partnerships (ADP). ADPs are multi agency groups who provide a strategic overview and tackles alcohol and drug issues in their local areas through partnership working.