The British Liver Trust advises drinkers not to bother cutting out alcohol for a ‘one month detox’ because it will not help.

After the excess enjoyed by many over the festive period, opting for a temporary abstinence now will make little difference to liver health.

The Trust is instead advising the public to avoid alcohol for a few days a week, all year round. This is based on the idea that the liver should be given time to recover after alcohol intake each week.

The liver is thought to take as little as 24 hours to recover completely, providing there is no severe damage.

Chief executive of the British Liver Trust, Andrew Langford, has said: “People think they’re virtuous with their health by embarking on a liver detox each January with the belief that they are cleansing their liver of excess following the festive break.”

However, liver health should be addressed as a long-term issue, and not as something that can be rectified over a space of four weeks.

Dr Mark Wright of Southampton General Hospital has warned against the quick-fix mentality of detox diets. They encourage a binge-like cycle of indulgence and abstinence that is incredibly unhealthily for both the body and the mind.

The British Liver Trust is launching a campaign called ‘Love Your Liver’, designed to encourage the public to take care of their livers by eating well and exercising regularly.

To find out how hypnotherapy could help you to adopt a healthier lifestyle, please visit our Hypnotherapy Areas section. 

View and comment on the original BBC article.

London fire Brigade Commissioner Ron Dobson has said: “Our message is simple, if you’ve had too much to drink, don’t go home thinking you’re a contestant on MasterChef.”

According to statistics, 25% of the 18,000 accidental house fires in London over the last 3 years have been caused by 18-35 year olds, 1/3 of whom had been drinking.

In light of the festive season and our propensity to over-drink at office parties, Drink Aware has issued an advertising campaign across London and on social media sites. One advert reads: ‘Last night a Burger saved my life!’

Buying fast-food on your way home from a night out, although unhealthy, is a lot safer than putting a chip pan on before passing out in a drunken haze.

If you’re worried about the fattening properties of late-night kebabs, you can always make yourself a sandwich and pop it in the fridge before you leave the house.

Many of us like to have a few drinks during the holiday period, but it pays to be careful and to know your limits. If you think you have an addiction and would like help fighting it- whether alcohol, food, smoking or any other form, a hypnotherapist may be able to help you. To find out more, take a look at our Hypnotherapy Areas section.

View and comment on the original Independent article.

According to results from a recent study, the more alcohol individuals consume the higher the likelihood of them having unprotected sex.

Researchers from the University of Toronto have found that as alcohol consumption increases, so does an individuals willingness to engage in risky behaviour such as unprotected sex.

The university experts pooled together results from 12 previous studies that looked at the relationship between unprotected sex and alcohol consumption.

After bringing together the results and analysing the combined data they found that decision-making was influenced by the level of alcohol that was consumed.

For every 0.1mg/ml increase in blood alcohol level, the intention to engage in unprotected sex rose by an average of 5%.

The team presented the findings of their study in the journal Addiction, concluding that alcohol use is a risk factor for intentions to engage in unsafe sex. They also stated that this finding may be of public health importance as the role of alcohol could be a factor in the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Policy and campaigns director at the National AIDS Trust, Yusef Azad has said that the study results suggest that a better link-up between alcohol programmes and sexual health services is needed to provide support for those who are concerned about sexual risk, and wish to receive help to tackle their problematic alcohol use.

If you are concerned that your alcohol consumption may be having an impact on your ability to make decisions then it is important that you seek help. Visit your GP who will be able to provide you with professional advice and support about appropriate treatment interventions.

Hypnotherapy has also long since been used as an alternative method of tackling problematic alcohol consumption. For information about hypnotherapy for alcohol abuse please visit our fact-sheet to find out more.

 View and comment on the original Independent article.

The results of the study show that British adults are now drinking 9 per cent more than they were in 1980, making the UK the ninth biggest drinking country in Europe.

During the same period, the alcohol consumption of France fell by 37 per cent whilst decreases were also seen across Germany, Spain and Italy.

Britain is already home to the most overweight male adults and the third most overweight population of children behind Greece and Italy, which in combination with our gradual increase in alcohol consumption makes us one of the unhealthiest countries.

Doctors from the Royal College of Physicians have recently recommended that drinkers take three days off from drinking alcohol each week in a bid protect their liver.

If you or someone you know has a problem with excessive alcohol consumption and you are becoming concerned about the possible health implications, you may want to look into hypnotherapy as a method of overcoming your drinking habit. For more information about how hypnotherapy could help excessive drinking or alcohol abuse, please visit our fact-sheet to find out more.

View and comment on the original Daily Mail article.

UK Public Health Minister Anne Milton has said that a huge number of individuals are still failing to recognise the harm that alcohol can do to their bodies, despite efforts from the government to increase awareness.

According to Milton, the Department of Health is currently in the midst of “ongoing discussions” with the Treasury about how a different pricing strategy for alcohol could hold the key to encouraging safer and more sensible alcohol consumption.

However, Milton commented that setting a minimum price per unit of alcohol is not the solution and so a range of options are being considered whilst the House of Commons science and technology committee looks into the evidence and reasoning behind the current alcohol guidelines.

Milton commented that though people seem to accept the fact that smoking can cause significant damage to the body, and that obesity poses significant health risks, many are still reluctant to believe that alcohol can also be very damaging.

“I think that’s still a message that we haven’t got through in the guidelines.” She said.

The governments new strategy for tackling Britain’s alcohol problem is expected to be published either at the end of the year or at the start of 2012. According to Milton it will contain information about what their intentions are in terms of alcohol pricing.

Moves have already been made to raise the duty on strong beer and reduce it on weaker varieties. Milton commented that there has already been a positive industry response, with many companies opting to reduce alcohol strength so that it falls below the new duty level.

This means that each litre sold will contain less alcohol, a small step in the right direction according to Milton.

A recently published report estimated that binge drinking will cost the NHS a staggering £3.8 billion by 2011, with 1.5 million of that spent on handling A&E admissions each year.

Without appropriate government intervention, the above figure could increase if the nation remains ignorant to the dangers of alcohol.

If you have an alcohol problem then your first port of call should be your GP, as they will be able to perform an assessment to identify any damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption. They will also be able to provide you with treatment and support, and if appropriate may refer you to a counsellor.

If you are struggling to control an alcohol habit then you may find that hypnotherapy when used alongside conventional treatment methods could be of benefit. If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you, please visit our Alcohol Abuse fact-sheet to find out more.

View and comment on the original BBC News article.

Figures released via Freedom of Information show that many under-age children, even as young as four years old, are attending accident and emergency through the effects of drink and drugs.

Alarmingly, there have been 1,200 cases of children being treated in hospital for the misuse of drink and drugs in Wales, many of which involved children under 12 years of age. These startling results show that, even though the Welsh Government have issued health guidance on the damaging effects of alcohol on under 15′s, many young people are choosing to ignore it. Peer pressure and a lack of alcohol awareness, could be the underlying factors which are contributing to these shocking results.

The Welsh health board have recorded around 21 cases of children suffering from alcohol poisoning since 2006, and 6 of these were children of age 11 and under. There has also been a total of 39 children who have been treated for alcohol poisoning since 2006, with 10 of these taking place last year. These year on year rises are obviously very worrying, and raise the question of whether there is being enough done by the government to promote alcohol awareness among young people.

Statistics issued by the Welsh government also show that there were more than 120 cases of children under the age of 12, who were referred for specialist drug and alcohol related help. These figures indicate that there are real problems developing, which could worsen if the issue is not tackled soon.

If you are worried about the effects of alcohol on you or your child, then you may want to look into hypnotherapy as a way of dealing with it. To find out more about how it could help you, please visit our fact sheet for further information

View the original BBC News article.

This Bill looks at alcohol marketing, the ways in which it has an influence over the drinking habits of young people and the methods to take to reduce these effects. For example, the Bill will look at the potential banning of alcohol promotion before 9pm, and the ways in which the Internet disguises alcohol advertising, in an attempt to try and reduce the impact of alcohol marketing on the alcohol patterns of young people.

There is growing concern over the figures regarding the impact of alcohol on young people, and alcohol marketing is seen by some as playing a role in these statistics. The Department of Health released figures showing that females have the highest alcohol dependency within the age group 16-24, and there is still a worryingly high number of hospital admissions for young people, due to alcohol. Reports from 2008 suggest that there were 2843 fatalities in those aged between 15-24, and 23% of these were related to alcohol.

The second reading for the Alcohol Marketing Bill is due to take place on the 9th September 2011, and the outcome of this will be released in due course, thereafter.

If you are a young person who is worried about the effects of your alcohol intake, or a parent who is concerned about the drinking habits of your son/daughter, you may want to look into hypnotherapy as a ways of dealing with these issues. To find out more about how it could help you, please visit our fact sheet for further information.

View original Alcohol Concern article

Startling figures from the UK wide charity Drinkaware, show that an estimated 1 in 17 people in Great Britain are alcohol dependant, many of whom are young people. Statistics from the Department of Health report that alcohol dependency in females is highest among 16-24 year olds, and in men among 25-34 year olds.

With this in mind, how does a person become aware of having an addiction to alcohol?

The recommended daily intake of alcohol for females is 2-3 units per day, which is the equivalent of 1.3 x 175ml glasses of wine. Males should have an intake of no more than 3-4 units per day; the equivalent of 1.7 pints of 4% lager.

If you find yourself drinking more than this, then it is worth assessing whether you have an addiction. Some of the symptoms of alcohol dependency include a compulsion to drink, regular binge drinking, personal or work relationships suffering as a consequence of your drinking, developing a tolerance to alcohol and/or withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating or shaking as a result of a lack of alcohol in the system. An addiction to alcohol can develop innocently from a few too many trips to the pub, and over a long period of time.

If you feel that any of the above symptoms relate to you, then you may want to look into hypnotherapy as a way of dealing with your addiction to alcohol. To find out more about how it could help you, please visit our fact sheet for further information.

According to the Department of Health, liver disease is now the fifth biggest killer in the country, with alcohol related liver disease among the under 30s increasing by 50% in the past decade alone.

BBC News visited Liverpool’s Royal Hospital where they spoke to Victoria White, a young women who had been drinking since her teenage years and was now hospitalised after her bottle of brandy per day habit resulted in the development of liver disease.

Unfortunately doctors at the hospital say that Victorias case is all too familiar with her doctor, liver specialist Paul Richardson revealing that his colleagues frequently see similar cases of irrepareable damage.

“Both locally and nationally, people who work in hepatology have noticed an increase in alcoholic liver disease in a younger population,” he said.

Despite overall alcohol consumption falling, the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions have seen a 50% increase in the past decade alone with more than one million admissions in 2010.

Liver disease is a growing health concern in the UK and in a bid to stop figures from escalating any further the coalition want to develop a ”drinking strategy” with input from both the health lobby and the drinks industry.

Though all parties are keen to limit alcohol abuse, certain health groups such as the British Medical Association decided to withdraw from the consultation process citing the influence of the drinks industry on the policy making as the reason.

The government’s report detailing a strategy for tackling problem drinking is expected to be released later this year.

According to government figures, one quarter of the adult population drink too much alcohol. If you believe you may belong to that third and would like to view information abut how hypnotherapy could help you overcome alcohol abuse, please visit our fact-sheet for further information.

BBC One’s Panorama is to investigate the growing issue of alcohol related liver disease in the young in this weeks Panorama: Dying For A Drink. The programme will air on Monday 1 August at 20.30 BST.

View the original BBC News article.

The funds will go towards face-to-face and online training for an estimated 10,000 midwives over the next three years, allowing them to reach around 1.3 million pregnant women.

According to a 2005 Infant Feeding Survey over a third of mothers gave up drinking completely during their pregnancy, 61 per cent drank less and 4 per cent did not alter their drinking habits at all.

Current government guidelines recommend that mothers-to-be avoid alcohol where possible especially during the first trimester, after which drinking one or two units per week is considered safe.

The British Medical Association (BMA) are just one of many organisations who consider Diageo’s funding to be misplaced and a conflict of interest, but Simon Litherland, managing director of Diageo has stressed that the scheme is something the company feels very passionately about.

Whatever Diageos motives may be, educating midwives and mothers about the issues that can arise from drinking whilst trying to conceive or whilst pregnant is hugely important and could save babies from being born with foetal alcohol syndrome.

Public Health minister, Anne Milton, said: “Midwives are one of the most trusted sources of information and advice for pregnant women. This pledge is a great example of how business can work with NHS staff to provide women with valuable information.”

If you are trying to conceive or are pregnant and struggling to reduce your alcohol consumption then it may be worth talking to a hypnotherapist about how they could help you overcome a lifelong habit of frequently drinking alcohol. Visit our alcohol abuse fact-sheet for further information or visit the homepage and use the search tool to locate a qualified professional in your local area.

View the original Independent article.