ALCOHOL - the good and bad news

by Royal College of General Practitioners

• The good news is that in moderation there is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol. Over 90% of the UK population drink alcohol at some time, and the majority of these people drink within sensible limits and at appropriate times.
• The bad news is that a proportion of drinkers either over drink or drink at inappropriate times. The misuse of alcohol is associated with a series of physical and social problems. These include liver cirrhosis, heart disease, road traffic accidents, social violence, domestic violence and work absenteeism.

How much do you drink?

• By far the simplest method of knowing how much alcohol you drink is to count units.
• 1 unit of alcohol=the amount of alcohol that can be broken down by the liver in 1 hour.
• The following drinks all contain 1 unit of alcohol each:
  - half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider
  - a single measure of spirits
  - a standard glass of wine
  - a small glass of sherry
  - a measure of vermouth or aperitif
• Extra strong beer or lager can contain up to 2.5 units per half pint.
• Cans of beer/lager make it more complicated because they are not sold in half pints or pints. Most cans contain around three quarters of a pint which means that a can of ordinary strength beer or lager would contain 1.5 units
• If you are working out your weekly alcohol consumption be careful not to miss things out. Include drinks that you have with meals.

What is sensible drinking?

• Most people in the UK drink alcohol. There is nothing wrong with moderate drinking, as long as it is kept within sensible levels.
• Sensible alcohol limits have been devised to provide guidance on how to enjoy alcohol without it harming your health.
• Until recently the recommended safe drinking limits were 21 units a week for men and 14 units a week for women. Recent advice has increased these limits to 28 units a week for men and 21 units a week for women. Remember, these are limits, not recommended levels.
• There is some evidence that drinking one or two units of alcohol a day gives a significant health benefit in reducing heart disease for men over 40 and post-menopausal women.
• Women who are pregnant should not drink more than one or two units once or twice a week.

How much can you Drink and Drive?

The legal limit for driving is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. There is no sure way of telling how much you can drink before you reach this limit. Although there is a legal limit it is important to recognise that any drinking will affect your driving. The only way to be sure you're safe is not to drink at all.