Sensible drinking guidelines
The Department of Health has broken down alcoholic drinks into units, based on the amount of alcohol present. This makes it much easier to tell how much alcohol you are consuming, as drinks can have very different strengths.
A unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml of pure alcohol. For example, approximate measures of units are shown below:
- One small glass of 12% wine (175ml) = 2 units
- One pint of normal strength beer (4%) = 2 units
- One 275ml bottle of alcopop = 1.5 units
- A single measure (35ml) of spirits (40%) = 1.5 units
Sensible drinking guidelines are recommended for healthy people over the age of 18.
Men: No more than 3-4 units per day
Women: No more than 2-3 units per day
If a person exceeds these units on any day they should give their bodies 48 hours to recover. A person should have at least one alcohol-free day per week. If a person keeps to these guidelines there are no significant risks to their health. If a person regularly exceeds these there is an increasing risk to their health.
Page last updated:22 July 2009
