fact
If you feel like you can "handle your drink" you probably have developed a tolerance to alcohol. With time and regular use, a person often drinks more to get the old effect. You are more at risk with every additional unit above the daily guidelines.
common myth
Red wine is good for your heart whatever your age.
fact
Only men over the age of 40 and women who have been through the menopause can benefit from one or two units in a day.
common myth
Having a drink will help me sleep.
fact
Alcohol may bring on tiredness but with time it disrupts normal sleep patterns. A person often wakes up in the second half of the night.
common myth
Binge drinking only affects young people.
fact
Binge drinking is defined as drinking more than 6 units in one day for women and more than 8 units in one day for men. At any age, after an episode of binge drinking it is advisable to refrain from drinking for 48 hours to allow tissues to recover.
what is a unit of alcohol?
One unit = 8g of 10ml of ethanol.
The number of units in an alcoholic drink depends on the amount (ml) and the
% strength of the drink.
The following formula is used to quickly calculate the unit content:
abv multiplied by ml divided by 1000 = units
Example of 12% wine 250ml glass
12 x 250 = 3000, divided by 1000, = 3 units
some more common drinks
| 35ml measure of vodka | 40% abv | 1.4 units |
| 275ml bottle of Alcopop | 5% abv | 1.4 units |
| 1 pint of Fosters | 4% abv | 2.3 units |
| 1 pint of Stella | 5.2% abv | 3 units |
| 250ml glass of wine | 14% abv | 3.5 units |
| 500ml can of super strength lager | 9% abv | 4.5 units |
| 750ml bottle of wine | 12% abv | 9 units |
| 3 litres of strong cider | 7.5% abv | 22.5 units |
| 70cl bottle of vodka | 40% abv | 28 units |
test yourself
Spend a few moments thinking about the last 12 months - download our Drink Smart self-help guide and take the test on page 10.
