Drugs and Alcohol

Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you. Addiction is a common, but help is available. 

How much is too much alcohol?

In Newham, 1 in 4 adults drink too much when compared to the government guidelines on how much alcohol you should drink. 

The NHS recommends that you do not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. That's around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer. 

There's no completely safe level of drinking, but sticking within these guidelines lowers your risk of harming your health. Try using Alcohol Change UK's unit calculator to work out how many units you drink. 

If you drink too much, you are at high risk of:  

• Certain cancers, including breast, bowel and mouth cancer 
• Having a stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure 
• Liver disease 
• Pancreatitis 
• Reduced fertility (not being able to have children naturally) 

What are the reasons to cut down how much alcohol you drink?

• Drinking less will reduce your risk of becoming ill with serious health conditions, such as the ones listed above. 
• You may notice other benefits, like: 
• Sleeping better 
• Feeling more energetic 
• Losing weight 
• Your skin looks better 

Recreational drugs are drugs taken for fun, rather than for medical reasons.  

There are many different types of drugs. Some are legal and some are illegal. Even legal drugs can be very dangerous if they are not taken safely.  

We do not advise anyone to take illegal drugs, but it’s really important that you know as much as possible about them so that you can keep yourself, your friends and your family safe. 

To find out more about the different types of drugs and how to stay safe with drugs, visit the Talk to Frank website or the NHS website.

Please take a look at the services below to find the right support for you: