Alcohol
Alcohol
It’s easy to end up drinking alcohol at levels that can be dangerous to our health. Alcohol can quickly become part of life and before we know it, drinking alcohol can become part of a habit or routine.
There are no safe levels for alcohol, but lower risk is considered to be less that 14 units a week.
How much is a unit?
1.5 Units
Small (125ml) glass of wine (12%) = 1.5 units
3 Units
Large (250ml) glass of wine (12%) = 3 units
3 Units
Pint of higher strength (ABV 5.2%) lager/beer/cider) = 3 Units
1.7 Units
Bottle (330ml) of lager/Beer/Cider (5%) = 1.7 units
1 Units
Single small (25ml) shot of spirits (40%) = 1 unit
If you are drinking above 14 units per week, you could be doing yourself harm. The type of illnesses you can develop after 10 to 20 years of regularly drinking more than 14 units a week include:
- cancers of the mouth, throat and breast
- stroke
- heart disease
- liver disease
- brain damage
- damage to the nervous system
Sensible Drinking
- It is safest not to regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week
- Limit the days you drink, aim for no more than five days a week
- Have a day off between drinking days and don't drink for 48 hours after a binge
- Pregnant women, women trying to conceive and people with certain medical conditions should not drink alcohol at all
Single session drinking
Drinking too much too quickly on any single occasion can increase your risk of:
- misjudging risky situations
- losing self-control, like having unprotected sex
- accidents resulting in injury, causing death in some cases
If you are worried that you may be drinking too much or if you would like more help understanding how much you are drinking at the moment, get in touch. Our team are on hand to chat with you about alcohol.