PEOPLE in Gwent are being urged to think of and talk about the health risks, social problems, stigmas and taboos linked to drinking alcohol, as part of a nationwide awareness week.

Aneurin Bevan Health Board is running a series of Alcohol Awareness Week information pages on its website, and is highlighting little-known facts about alcohol and health.

Among the facts and figures under the spotlight is one that reveals that people in work are more likely to drink alcohol than those without jobs. Also, the over-45s are three times more likely to drink alcohol every day.

But having at least two alcohol-free days a week can reduce a person’s risk of harm from alcohol.

“There is a lot of focus on binge drinking and the impact it has on society.” said Dr Gill Richardson, the health board’s executive director for public health. Binge drinking is a harmful habit but this year Alcohol Awareness Week is also looking at more day to day drinking, and the impact it can have.

“It is important to keep an eye on alcohol consumption and I encourage everyone to consider whether alcohol is sneaking up on them and if it has, to catch it out and cut back by making sure they have at least two free days each week.”

The health board is also highlighting issues around pregnancy and drinking alcohol, warning that unborn babies can be harmed, and urging pregnant women to stop drinking altogether, or cut down as much as possible.

Drinking during pregnancy has been linked to miscarriage, low birth weight, heart defects, stillbirth, learning and behaviour problems. The most severe condition linked to alcohol and pregnancy is foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

This is a message being backed by 20-year-old Amy Hammett, from Llanhilleth. While not a big drinker, she decided to cut out alcohol completely on discovering she was pregnant with her first child. She and partner Michael Penny are expecting their first child in February.

“My mother is a midwife so I knew about a lot of issues relating to pregnancy, but with the alcohol, I made my own decision. It is the right thing to do,” she said.

Figures for Wales show that generally, alcohol plays a large part in many people’s lives, with 43 per cent reporting drinking above recommended guidelines on at least one day during the week of the last Welsh Health Survey, during 2011-12.

There are a range of sources of information on alcohol, its effects, recommended limits and tips to help cut down consumption, including: www.dryjanuary.org.uk; www.change4lifewales.org.uk; www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/; www.drinkwisewales.org.uk; www.alcoholconcern.org.uk;

www.dan247.org.uk