Love Your Liver Month 2026: A call to cut back on alcohol and protect your liver
For Love your Liver Month, Balance is supporting the British Liver Trust in encouraging people to reduce alcohol and reduce liver disease risks.
Alcohol is the biggest cause of liver disease in the UK, with many people unaware they are at risk. Around one in four people drink alcohol in a way that could harm their liver health (1) with alcohol-related liver deaths rising sharply in recent years.
It’s a myth that you have to be dependent on alcohol to develop liver disease.. Regularly drinking over the recommended limits of no more than 14 units a week increases the risk of developing liver disease and liver cancer.(2) Alcohol consumption is the most common cause of liver disease in the UK, accounting for 6 in 10 cases of liver disease (3).
When the liver breaks down alcohol, it produces harmful chemicals that can damage and kill liver cells. This can cause scarring which builds up and leads to cirrhosis. Liver disease often develops silently, with no symptoms until serious damage has occurred.
Every year in the North East, hundreds of thousands of people are drinking at harmful levels, placing them at increased risk of alcohol-related liver disease — including fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, as well as cancers of the bowel, breast, mouth and throat.
Dr James Crosbie a GP and consultant gastroenterologist with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and Alcohol Clinical Lead for North East and North Cumbria ICB, said: “Across the North East, large numbers of people drink at harmful levels, increasing their risk of alcohol related liver disease such as fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
“The more you drink, the higher the risk — and unlike age, gender or family history, alcohol is a risk factor we can actively change.”
Latest figures from DHSC Alcohol Profiles for England show the North East saw a 17.3% reduction in alcohol-specific deaths from 2023-24 (where death is directly from alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease. This is the first time alcohol-specific deaths have fallen since 2017. Despite this, alcohol deaths are still much higher than before the pandemic, with alcohol-specific deaths still 30% higher than in 2019 and alcohol-related deaths are 13% higher.
Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for Balance, said: “Four out of five people in the North East (82%) see alcohol as a big problem regionally and nationally, and yet awareness of alcohol health risks is still worryingly low. Having clear health warnings on all alcohol products would be a good start to address this..
“Deaths from alcohol rose sharply after the pandemic and although concerted action across the health and care system are seeing an impact, they are still far too high. We need national action to reduce alcohol harm which must recognise how cheap pricing, easy availability and persistent marketing have added to the normalisation of alcohol consumption in everyday life.”
What You Can Do
Liver health isn’t just for January. All year round people across the UK can reduce the risks:
- Reduce alcohol intake — cutting back can help the liver recover and function better.
- Take alcohol-free days each week to give the liver time to repair itself.
- Seek support if you’re concerned about your drinking — speak to your GP or local services for help and advice.
Visit ReduceMyRisk.tv for tips, advice, free tools and local support.
For Kelly Mould, 40, from Washington, Tyne and Wear, daily alcohol use masked her insecurities and gave her a false sense of confidence. But by the time she realised the damage, she was on the brink of liver damage. In 2019, Kelly’s drinking reached a breaking point and she was constantly shaking, nauseous, and fatigued. During a hospital visit she was told she had developed fibrosis – early-stage liver scarring. The next stage would be cirrhosis – a permanent scarring preventing her liver from functioning properly and potentially leading to liver failure,
She said: “I never expected to hear such devastating news about my liver. The doctors told me it was functioning at its absolute maximum, struggling to keep up with the damage I had inflicted upon it. If I didn’t stop drinking immediately, my liver wouldn’t last another year.
“Hearing that my liver was in such a fragile state shook me. The doctors at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle were clear: I could still reverse or halt the damage, but only if I stopped drinking immediately. If I ignored their warnings, I would find myself facing the reality of organ failure.”
In late 2019, Kelly reached out to Plummer Court Drug and Alcohol Services in Newcastle for support to stop drinking. Six years later and even today, Kelly undergoes regular fibro scans to monitor her liver’s condition—a constant reminder of how close she came to irreversible damage.
But she said: “In 2025, I’m in a place I never could have dreamed of. I’m two and a half years sober, and I’m loving my life. It’s incredible how you appreciate the little things. Even looking up at the sky, taking a deep breath – you don’t have a headache, you’re not shaking or dizzy. You are still, calm, and at peace with yourself. It’s something I will never take for granted.”
Balance is running the Alcohol is Toxic campaign to encourage people to reset their alcohol risks in 2026. A survey by Balance found that 1 in 3 (34%) of people who drink alcohol in the North East had tried to cut down in the previous 12 months for a range of reasons – to prevent future health issues, feel healthier and lose weight, to improve mental health and avoid hangovers.
1: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/risks-and-causes/alcohol/
2: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/risks-and-causes/alcohol/