‘Know Your Units’ alcohol campaign launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland
Get to know your units
To reduce health risks from alcohol,
drink no more than 14 units a week.
Through the Living Well Service, pharmacies can help address risk factors which contribute significantly to the overall prevalence of disease in Northern Ireland. The campaign will run from 1 June – 31 July 2025.
This year the Living Well campaign will focus on Knowing Your Units to increase awareness of the Chief Medical Officers’ alcohol guidelines of drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol per week and to highlight the health risks associated with drinking in excess of these guidelines.
Community pharmacists and pharmacy staff will display and provide information as well as give advice on targeted campaign topics to patients presenting prescriptions and to general pharmacy visitors.
Stephanie Hanlon, Joint Regional Lead for Drugs and Alcohol at the PHA said “It’s so important to be aware of how much alcohol you are drinking, it’s impact on your body, your mental wellbeing and relationships with others around you. There are a number of steps you can take to reduce the amount you drink”. Visit the Welcome to a better you | Choose to Live Better.
George Wright, Community Pharmacist from the Clear Pharmacy in Bangor encourages members of the public to pick up an information booklet and alcohol wheel in their local pharmacy. George reminds the public ‘If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread your drinking over three or more days. If you want to cut down the amount you drink, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days each week’.
Speak to your GP if you are concerned about your own or someone else’s drinking or call into your local community pharmacy for your free alcohol unit wheel. It’s a handy device and will help you keep track of the number of alcohol units you consume on a weekly basis. Alternatively, take the FREE Alcohol MOT test on this website by clicking here to find out how much you are drinking and if you are putting your health at risk.
Resources:
Focus on Alcohol – Focus on alcohol | HSC Public Health Agency
Know Your Units poster 2025-2026 A3-poster-The-more-you-drink-the-greater-the-risks-04_25.pdf
Living Well Newsletter 2025-2026 – Know-your-units-campaign-briefing-04_25.pdf
For further information and resources on the living Well Know Your Units campaign see; Living Well – Business Services Organisation (BSO) Website
Alcohol limits and unit guidelines
Published by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers, the low risk drinking guidelines are for men and women aged over 18 years who drink alcohol. The medical guidelines explain low risk drinking but don’t mean drinking alcohol is safe.
The medical guidelines give advice on:
- how many alcohol units you can have in a week to lower the risk of harm
- single session drinking
- not drinking alcohol when you’re pregnant
UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines
Test your alcohol intake with our interactive virtual bar. Simply drag your drinks onto the bar and discover more on your alcohol intake.
There is no immediate way to sober up. It takes time for your body to process alcohol. The morning after a heavy night’s drinking, you are likely to have a high concentration of alcohol in your bloodstream. You may not be sober or safe to drive a vehicle. The legal alcohol limit for driving measures the amount of alcohol in your breath, blood or urine.
Ready to make a change? Visit our ‘Self-help’ section for more information, tools and tips.
Talk to someone, you are not alone.
Lifeline counsellors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to listen and help, in confidence.
Deaf and hard of hearing Textphone users can call Lifeline on 18001 0808 808 8000. Calls to Lifeline are free to people living in Northern Ireland who are calling from UK landlines and mobiles.
