HAMPSHIRE County Council is marking Alcohol Awareness Week this year by encouraging people to check how much alcohol they drink by using the NHS Change 4 Life online drinks checker.

The week runs from November 16 to November 22 and Councillor Patricia Stallard, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Health and Public Health, said: "An estimated 24% of Hampshire residents drink above the safe recommended levels for alcohol each week. Many people do not realise how much they are drinking, especially when at home, but by taking some simple steps it is possible to moderate your drinking and benefit from a healthier lifestyle."

Most people who have alcohol-related health problems aren’t alcoholics. They’re simply people who regularly drink more than the recommended levels for some years. There’s no guaranteed safe level of drinking, but if you drink less than the recommended daily limits, the risks of harming your health are low.

People can reduce the amount of alcohol they drink by, pacing and spacing - sip slowly, space drinks out, have soft drink or water in between alcoholic drinks, swap to a smaller bottle of beer instead of a can, a single instead of a double, and swap your usual for a low-alcohol drink.Tips on how to cut down alcohol consumption can be found by searching online for Hampshire Drink-less.

Drinking within the recommended limits and having a few alcohol free days every week will help body to stay healthy. Daily recommended sensible drinking limits are three to four units of alcohol a day for men, for woman two to three units a day.

It is also considered to be a good idea to have at least two alcohol free days a week.