Nationally, it is estimated that 9 million adults drink at levels that increase the risk of harm to their health, and 1.6 million adults show some signs of alcohol dependence.

The financial burden on the NHS for treating alcohol related disease or injury is very high and is, along with smoking and obesity, one of the biggest causes of avoidable illness and death in the UK.

The recent Wandsworth Public Health Needs Assessment has identified that amongst 16-64 year olds, there are approximately 54,423 increased risk drinkers, 18,457 higher risk drinkers and 54,782 binge drinkers in Wandsworth.

 

Following the success of the 2012 London-wide project on ‘rethink your drink’, where 9 pharmacies participated in the 3-month screening programme, the Wandsworth Council Drug and Alcohol Team (Department of Education Social Service Commissioning Unit) have commissioned 10 pharmacies across Wandsworth (with 6 pharmacies covering Tooting) to deliver the FREE Too Much Drink screening project using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tool (AUDIT) scratch card screening tool.

The following pharmacies will be participating in the project and will have a poster on display in the shop window:

• Aukland Rogers Pharmacy
  892 Garratt Lane
  SW17 0NB
  ​Phone: 020 8672 6737

• Barrons Chemist
  158A Tooting High Road
  SW17 0RT
  Phone: 020 8672 7461

• Fairoak Pharmacy
  270 Mitcham Lane
  SW16 6NU
  Phone: 020 8769 0251

• Pearl Chemist
  159 Mitcham Road
  SW17 9NH
  ​​Phone: 020 8672 2157

• Tooting Pharmacy Practice
  175 Upper Tooting Road
  SW17 7TJ
  ​​Phone: 020 8672 5843

• Healthchem Balham
  4-5 Station Parade
  Balham High Road
  SW12 9AZ
  Phone: 020 8673 8351

All customers are invited to take part in this free screening. If you are interested in finding out more, please ask your pharmacist for further information.