AROUND 200,000 people in Surrey are putting their health at risk by regularly drinking too much alcohol, a report claims.
The warning follows the launch of Surrey's Joint Health and Wellbeing Board, set up in the wake of NHS reforms giving councils greater control over the running of health services.
The board's Health and Wellbeing Strategy estimates that one in four people aged over 16 in the county are drinking more than their safe allowance of alcohol.
Surrey is the second highest level of "increasing risk" drinking in the country, and is higher than the national average of 20 per cent.
The recommended number of units of alcohol is four units a day at most for men and no more than three for women, equivalent to a large glass of wine or a pint of strong lager.
The report shows that only one in ten county residents do the recommended amount of exercise, with one in three eating five portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
Gail Hughes, of Surrey County Council's public health team, said: "With the economic downturn meaning people sacrificing nights out in favour of drinking at home, we want to help them understand that regularly enjoying an evening tipple could unwittingly be increasing the chances of harming their health."
For further information, call Surrey's confidential drug and alcohol helpline free of charge on 0808 802 5000.
The warning follows the launch of Surrey's Joint Health and Wellbeing Board, set up in the wake of NHS reforms giving councils greater control over the running of health services.
The board's Health and Wellbeing Strategy estimates that one in four people aged over 16 in the county are drinking more than their safe allowance of alcohol.
Surrey is the second highest level of "increasing risk" drinking in the country, and is higher than the national average of 20 per cent.
The recommended number of units of alcohol is four units a day at most for men and no more than three for women, equivalent to a large glass of wine or a pint of strong lager.
The report shows that only one in ten county residents do the recommended amount of exercise, with one in three eating five portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
Gail Hughes, of Surrey County Council's public health team, said: "With the economic downturn meaning people sacrificing nights out in favour of drinking at home, we want to help them understand that regularly enjoying an evening tipple could unwittingly be increasing the chances of harming their health."
For further information, call Surrey's confidential drug and alcohol helpline free of charge on 0808 802 5000.
