Health and wellbeing
Walsall Council marks Alcohol Awareness Week 2024
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Walsall Council is joining the national Alcohol Awareness Week 2024 campaign on ‘understanding alcohol harm’.
The annual campaign, which takes place in the first week of July, aims to educate residents about the impact alcohol can have on health and wellbeing and promote healthy drinking habits.
The council works with The Beacon (provided by Change Grow Live) that offers free and confidential support for young people and adults in Walsall who misuse alcohol or drugs. They also support friends, families, and carers affected by other people's substance misuse.
Other services are available for residents to access support with alcohol including YMCA The Glebe Centre and SMART Recovery sessions (offered by The Beacon).
“ Alcohol has an impact on our health and wellbeing. It can cause a range of harms, from poor sleep to high blood pressure, from anxiety to cancer. The more we consume alcohol, the more problematic those harms can become, both to individuals and to their friends and family, and some people develop alcohol dependency.
This Alcohol Awareness Week let’s talk about alcohol and the steps we can take to reduce the harms associated with alcohol, from making a plan and letting our family and friends know, to making long-lasting changes to our overall health and wellbeing.
Remember that you don’t have to face this alone – it is ok to ask for help, and there is nothing at all to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. Free and confidential support is available from our local services in Walsall. “
“ At The Beacon, we take pride in our inclusivity, supporting people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life. Our consultant-led care is designed to ensure the safety and health of all individuals, particularly the most vulnerable members of our local community.
We benefit from a dedicated team of experienced and knowledgeable staff across the service, as well as doctors and nurses, providing advice and support on matters such as drug and alcohol use, recovery and mentoring opportunities, as well as medically assisted treatment, if needed. Our Recovery Hub delivers a full range of group sessions to support those using the service.
We encourage anyone in Walsall looking for support with drug and alcohol use to get in touch with us by phone or email. “
During Alcohol Awareness Week, The Beacon is holding drop-in health checks on Wednesday 3 July from 10am to 12pm at Unit 4, The Quarter in Walsall Town Centre. Trained nurses will carry out health checks, including blood pressure, heart rate and temperature checks, and a basic physical examination. The health checks are open to the public.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
- The Beacon - Change Grow Live provides free and confidential support for young people and adults in Walsall who misuse drugs or alcohol. They also support friends, families, and carers affected by other people's substance misuse. Support offered by The Beacon includes:
- structured drug treatment intervention programmes with a keyworker and shared-care services based at GP surgeries
- criminal justice interventions
- specialist needle exchange
- blood-borne virus screening and vaccination
- harm reduction interventions
- access to mutual aid services, for example, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Family Anonymous, SMART Recovery
- The Beacon has established partnerships to ensure multidisciplinary support for anyone coming into the service. They have created close working relationships with key services such as Glebe Centre, social care, housing, probation and the West Midlands Police. They have also created integrated pathways with hospitals within the community, Walsall Manor Hospital, Black Country Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and GP-shared care.
- Change Grow Live Walsall, The Beacon is an Integrated Young Persons and Adult service with core service hours being Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00-17:00 and late openings on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00-20:00.
- If you are looking for support, please call 01922 669850 to speak to one of the team or email thebeacon.walsall@cgl.org.uk
- YMCA The Glebe Centre provide support for service users in Walsall who are rough sleepers, homeless, insecurely housed, drug users and alcohol users. To contact the service, call 01922 625687 or email theglebecentre@ymcabc.org.uk
- Alcohol Awareness Week is managed and coordinated by Alcohol Change UK. Further information is on the Alcohol Change UK website.
- Alcohol consumption recommendations: You are safest not to drink more than 14 units per week. 14 units means roughly six pints of lager or one and a half bottles of wine. Use this handy calculator to work out the number of units in your drinks. It is best to spread this drinking over three days or more during the week. A good way to help you keep the risk low is to have several alcohol-free days each week. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all, to keep risks to your baby to a minimum. Visit Am I drinking too much? | Alcohol Change UK for more advice.
