A major campaign to warn of the dangers of excess alcohol is being launched throughout the county next week.

SUFFOLK: A major campaign to warn of the dangers of excess alcohol is being launched throughout the county next week.

Suffolk Constabulary's Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) and district councils will be encouraging people to 'rethink their drink' as part of the National Health Service's Alcohol Awareness Week.

Suffolk Coastal and Babergh districts are joining forces with the police authority, which is touring an information pod packed with helpful advice about alcohol issues to Felixstowe, Shotley, Pinewood, Saxmundham and Sudbury.

In Ipswich, the borough council is teaming up with Norcas, a local drugs and alcohol treatment charity, and the SNT to man a stall on the Cornhill on Thursday and Friday to get the “safe drinking” message across.

Julia Catterwell, Suffolk Coastal's Substance Misuse Officer said: “The aim of Alcohol Awareness Week is to provide harm reduction messages for all ages and educate people about what a unit of alcohol is and what certain drinks are worth, as many people have misapprehensions, assuming that one drink equals one unit.

“In turn, it will assist in the prevention of alcohol related crime both to individuals and to communities.”

The Chief Medical Officer for England has issued guidelines suggesting men do not drink more than three-four units daily (two pints or two cans of normal-strength lager or beer on a regular basis) and women do not drink more than two-three units daily (regularly drinking about a large glass of wine or three single measures of spirits).

Drinking above these levels can increase many heath risks such as heart disease, breast cancer, liver disease, and strokes.

Felixstowe and District SNT Sgt Peter Street adds: “Incidents that occur as a result of alcohol misuse are an issue for police everywhere, so any opportunity to get people to consider their alcohol consumption is a positive thing.”