This year Alcohol Awareness Week comes at a time when England is experiencing a national lockdown due to further rises in Covid-19 infection rates. During 2020 there has been much concern about how alcohol consumption patterns are changing as people find ways to manage uncertainty and anxiety. A new survey commissioned by Alcohol Change UK for Alcohol Awareness Week reported that almost one in three drinkers (29%) have been drinking at increasing or high risk levels over the past six months (over 14 units per week). Over half of drinkers (53%) said they have drunk alcohol for a mental health reason \u2013 such as feeling anxious, stressed or worried, feeling bored, having trouble sleeping, or feeling sad or low – at least once in the past six months. Read more here: https:\/\/bit.ly\/3kNfViq<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n More positively, during lockdown we have seen lots of examples of how communities are coming together to help each other. A programme like CICA shows that with some training and support, volunteers can develop skills that make them valuable assets in their community to help tackle harm from alcohol and improve wellbeing. Some of our alcohol health champions have been sharing their thoughts on alcohol and mental health, something which they come across regularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We talked to Billy Durkin from The Lifestyle Service in Bury. Billy recruits, trains and supports the volunteers, and said: \u201cThere is a reoccurring link between alcohol use and poor mental health. Though the conversations that volunteers have with individuals can be brief, the impact can be massive for that individual. For the champions too, there is a real sense of satisfaction as they support someone to talk about their alcohol consumption and\/or their mental wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The alcohol health champions – all local volunteers – have an accredited Level 2 qualification from the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). After finishing their training, the volunteers can use their knowledge and skills to offer simple, easy to follow advice to family, friends and the wider community. During the first lockdown in March, some Alcohol Health Champions even helped create a new animation about the work they do, to share the project more widely with others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n