How much alcohol is in your drink?

The most important thing you need to know is the amount of alcohol in your drink and how the different drinks compare.

These drinks, in normal pub measures, each contain roughly the same amount of alcohol. You can think of each one as a unit.

1 unit=

• ½ pint of ordinary beer, lager or cider


• A single measure of spirits (whiskey, gin, bacardi, vodka etc)


• A standard glass of wine


• A small glass of sherry


• A measure of vermouth or aperitif

Extra strength lagers

Did you know that extra strength lager contains almost three times as much alcohol as ordinary lager.

Bottles and cans now show percentages of alcohol by volume (%ABV) where this is over 1.2% so this will help you to compare strengths.

Know your drinks

(1 can = 16 fl. Oz = 440mil = ¾ pint)
All figures are approximate

Units
% alcohol content by volume (%ABV)

BEERS & LAGERS
Ordinary Strength beer or lager	3.0% - 3.5%
Half Pint	1
1 Pint	2
1 Can	1.5

EXPORT BEER	3.6% - 4.5%
Half Pint	1.25
1 Pint	2.5
1 Can	2

STRONG ALE OR LAGER (PREMIUM)	4.6% - 6.0%
Half Pint	2
1 Pint	4
1 Can	3

EXTRA STRONG BEER OR LAGER	7.5% - 8.4%
Half Pint	2.5
1 Pint	5
1 Can	4

ORDINARY CIDER	3.5%
Half Pint	1
1 Pint	2
STRONG CIDER	6%
Half Pint	2
1 Pint	4

SPIRITS	38%
1 Standard single measure in England & Wales	1
1 Standard measure in N Ireland & Scotland	1.5
1 Bottle	30

TABLE WINE	11%
1 Standard glass	1
1 Bottle	7
1 Litre bottle	10

SHERRY	16%
1 Standard small measure	1
1 Bottle	13

LOW ALCOHOL

Low-alcohol beers, lagers, ciders and wines vary enormously in alcohol content. Some wines are as much as half the strength of ordinary table wine whilst the beers, lagers and ciders listed are one third of ordinary strength, but all can be as low as 0.05% - virtually alcohol free.

LOW ALCOHOL LAGER AND BEERS	0.9% -1.0%
Half Pint	0.33
1 Pint	0.66
1 Can	0.5

LOW ALCOHOL CIDER	0.9% - 1.0%
Half Pint	0.33
1 Pint	0.5

The units relate to the lower end of the % ABV range.

What’s a sensible limit?

Keep to the sensible limits below if you want to avoid damaging your health. Remember there are times when even one or two drinks can be too much – for example, if you are going to drive or operate machinery. It can also be dangerous to drink alcohol if you are taking certain types of medicine.

Young and old people are more at risk and should drink less.

RECOMMENDED ALLOWANCE

FOR MEN	FOR WOMEN
Up to 21 units a week	Up to 14 units a week
Spread through the week, with 2 or 3 drink free days.	Spread through the week, with 2 or 3 drink free days.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

FOR MEN	FOR WOMEN
36 units or more in a week	22 units or more in a week
If you drink as much as this or more then damage to your health is likely.	If you drink as much as this or more then damage to your health is likely.

What happens when you drink?

Most of the alcohol you drink is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. Nearly all the alcohol has to be burnt up by the liver and the rest is disposed of either in sweat or urine. The concentration of alcohol in the body depends on how much you drink, whether your stomach is empty or not, your height, weight, age and sex. If you are smaller or lighter than average, or young and if your not used to drinking, you are more easily affected by alcohol.

Drink can make some people lively and chatty, others silent and miserable. But it’s worth remembering that alcohol isn’t a stimulant, despite what many people believe. It’s a depressant, in the sense that it depresses certain brain functions. That means it affects your judgement, self-control and co-ordination, so it will affect your ability to drive or operate a machine.

How quickly do the effects wear off?

On average, it takes one hour for the body to get rid of the alcohol in one unit. Your blood alcohol level increases with every unit you drink.

 

Contact Safer South Gloucetershire
Safer South Gloucestershire Tel: 01454 86 85 86	FRANK National drugs information helpline for young people, parents and carers Tel: 0800 77 66 00

Last updated 30 April 2004