A CRACKDOWN on dangerous levels of drinking aims to target the issue before it becomes a problem.

Addaction, a former Evening Times Community Champion winner, hopes to help people whose alcohol problem is in its early stages.

The Alcohol Behaviour Change Service will offer support to people who are exceeding the daily and weekly recommended limits, but are doing so on a regular basis.

Michael Matheson, Public Health Minister, launched the programme in the city and said it would help prevent more serious alcohol-related problems developing.

The service, being run with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, will target women who regularly drink more than 2-3 units per day and men who break their 3-4 units per day limit.

People can be referred by their GP or contact the service themselves for support and help to reduce their alcohol intake.

Mr Matheson said: "We have seen excellent progress of the national Alcohol Brief Interventions programme across Scotland, helping people to cut down on the amount of alcohol they drink to safer levels.

"Services like Addaction in Glasgow are making a real difference by getting more people into treatment for alcohol related problems, reducing consumption and preventing more serious health problems from developing."

Addaction won our 'Health and Wellbeing' Community Champion award in 2011 for work it was doing with its over-50s service in Glasgow, designed specifically to help older drinkers recover from alcohol problems.

Health officials believe that many people are turning to alcohol to deal with the day to day stresses of life and too many are drinking more than the recommended safe limits.

Julie Breslin, Addaction service manager, said: "We are delighted to be part of a partnership approach with NHSGGC to tackle problem drinking in the city and through this hopefully challenge Glasgow's reputation as having the worst alcohol related problems in Europe."

Health officials said what makes this service, which is available to anyone over 18, valuable is that it aims to tackle problem drinking in its early stages.

John Goldie, Head of Addictions, NHSGGC, added: "We are only too aware of Scotland and particularly Glasgow's complex relationship with alcohol and the consequences to individual families and the wider city.

"I'm excited by the opportunities this approach taken by us and Addaction can have to make real changes to individual's behaviours towards alcohol and how this approach can lead to a real reduction in health consequences for individuals."

stewart.paterson@ eveningtimes.co.uk