Toolkits at Jersey pharmacies to help cut alcohol consumption

Wednesday, 3 July 2024 at 08:23

People in Jersey are being urged to get advice from their local pharmacy on how they can cut back on their drinking.

Jersey have previously ranked among the worst nations for alcohol consumption amongst OECD counties - coming second only to Latvia.

It's recommended we drink a maximum of 14 units a week. That is the equivalent of six pints of lager or glasses of prosecco.

The most recent data showed we're consuming an average of 12 litres of alcohol a year. That is eight pints of beer of 2.6 bottles of wine every week.

As part of Alcohol Awareness Week, the government is funding toolkits that will be available at pharmacies to help islanders work out how much they are drinking and cut their intake.

The toolkits include items such as measuring cups and unit/calorie calculators.

Sara Kynicos from Co-op Pharmacy says anyone concerned about their drinking behaviours should seek advice:

"It can affect your liver, your heart , your pancreas and then there is also the mental health aspect - in terms of how it impacts on your brain and your nervous system.

"Mood disorders, anxiety and depression can all be worsened with alcohol.

"There is also the longer-term risks of cancers. A number of different cancers have been linked to alcohol-use."

"The first step is to understand what your own alcohol-use is. Talk to the pharmacy team. There are a lot of great resources out there if you want to take those next steps, but the first thing is to understand for yourself if you are in a risk situation."