How much is too much?
You might be wondering why people bother to drink - it makes them lose control and then they feel ill. Well, if you’re over 18 then drinking can sometimes be a sociable thing to do. Some people find that a certain amount can make you feel good about yourself, can help to reduce stress and is considered a fun thing to do. But, there is a downside to this because the benefits listed above are often short term and only if you’re a casual drinker. Too much alcohol can make you do things you wouldn’t normally do, it can give you a bad hangover, cloud your judgement and if you really are drinking too much then it could lead to serious illnesses.
So, how much is too much? The recommended weekly alcohol limit is:
21 units for men (no more than four units in any one day)
14 units for women (no more than three units in any one day)
If you’re drinking above these limits you’re at risk of developing serious problems.
I guess you’ll want to know how much one unit is, otherwise this all means nothing to you – it’s not like you can go the bar and order in units of beer/wine. One way of working it out is:
The percentage of alcohol by volume (which can be found on bottle labels) of any drink equals the number of units in one litre of that drink. So……
A beer at 6% has six units in one litre. So if you drink half a litre (500ml) – just under a pint – then you have had three units.
Wine at 12% has 12 units in one litre. If you drink a quarter of a litre (250ml) – two small glasses – then you have had three units.