Many adults in the UK enjoy a drink for social occasions, but the effects of alcoholism and binge drinking on the body can have devastating long-term effects. Every day in Southampton it is estimated that an average of 10,000 people are drinking at levels that could harm their health.
Make sure you drink responsibly and know your units – one unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. Remember that different strengths of beer, wines and spirits can create different amount of units per serving:
One unit is the amount of pure alcohol in a 25ml single measure of
spirits (ABV 40%), a third of a pint of beer (ABV 5 to 6%) or half a
175ml ‘standard’ glass of red wine (ABV 12%).
You can work out how many units there are in
any drink by multiplying the total volume of the drink (ml) by its
strength (ABV %) and dividing the result by 1,000.
It is very difficult to keep track of exactly how many units are consumed, but using the above guidance it is recommended that:
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Men should not exceed three to four units per day on a regular basis
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Women should not exceed two to three units per day on a regular basis
Remember, there are also times when you should have no drink at all – such as before exercise, operating machinery, and of course when driving.
