The liver is our largest internal organ and it has 500 different roles, including the breakdown of food into energy and helping the body get rid of waste products and fight infections - particularly in the bowel1. And yet, when your liver is damaged, you generally won’t know about it – until things get serious.

Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of developing liver disease and cause irreparable damage to this very important part of your body. In fact, alcohol is a major cause of the 25% increase in deaths from liver disease in England over the last decade (from 9,231 in 2001 to 11,575 in 2009)2.

Overall, alcohol-related liver disease accounts for well over a third (37%) of liver disease deaths. And figures show victims of liver disease are getting younger – more than one in 10 of deaths of people in their 40s are from liver disease, most of them from alcochol-related liver disease3.