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ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

How much alcohol is safe?

Public health advice on sensible drinking puts a limit of 21 units of alcohol per week for men (not more than 4 units in any one day) and no more than 14 units per week for women (not more than 3 units in any one day).

What constitutes a unit of alcohol?

A unit of alcohol equals 10mL (1cL) by volume (8g by weight) of pure alcohol and equates to:

  • Half a pint of moderate strength beer
  • A glass of wine - approximately 125mL of 8% alcohol by volume(abv)
  • A standard measure of spirits.

For stronger strength alcohol, the volume in a unit would be proportionately less. The unit content of a drink is calculated from the formula

Volume (mL) X % alcohol (abv)
1000

Therefore a half litre (500mL) can of strong lager (8%) contains 4 units of alcohol.

Further reading

  1. Department of Health. The Health of the Nation: a strategy for health in England and Wales. London: HMSO, 1992
  2. Inter - Departmental Working Group. Sensible Drinking. Department of Health, December 1995.
  3. Webster-Harrison PJ et al. General practitioners' and practice nurses' knowledge of how much patients should and do drink. British Journal of General Practice 2001; 51: 218-20.

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