Drugs and alcohol

Picture of beer.jpg Alcohol can harm every aspect of our life from physical and mental health problems to relationships and employment

Find out more about your drinking here
Find out what a unit of alcohol is in the video
take a quiz about alcohol on the BBC website. The key is to drink sensibly and in moderation.

The Rewards of Cutting Down

Cutting down and changing your drinking patterns will bring direct rewards for your weight and energy levels, overall health, mood and general outlook and relationships.

Find out about alternatives to drinking and ways to cut down

Alcohol is measured in units and it is this number that determines the strength of the drink. Alcohol packaging contains information on units and the percentage of alcohol in your drink.

How much is too much?

Both men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis

Spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week

If you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week

How many units of alcohol put you at risk?

MODERATE RISK - hazardous

For both of men and women regularly drinking 15 or more than units a week run the risk of developing problems such as high blood pressure, liver disease and even brain damage. As alcohol affects your judgement and ability to control impulses you may have said or done things that you regret.

HIGH RISK – dangerous

MEN – more than 7 units a day (over 50 a week)

WOMEN - more than 5 units a day (over 35 units)

Drinking at this level could indicate that you are dependent on alcohol and are at high risk of causing serious harm to yourself. It is not advisable to stop drinking suddenly but it would be time to seek professional help.

Click here to take a quiz about alcohol

Type of drink	unit	kcal
Pint or can of normal-strength lager/beer (Harp, Carling, Boddingtons, etc.)	2	187
Pint or can of strong lager/beer (Stella, Red Stripe, Corona, Kronenbourg, etc.)	3	233
Bottle of lager (Budweiser, etc.)	2	132
1-litre bottle of normal-strength cider (Strongbow, Woodpecker, etc.)	4.5	350
1 bottle of alcopop (Bacardi Breezer, WKD, Smirnoff Ice, etc.)	2	184
75cl bottle of sherry (QC, Harveys Bristol Cream, etc.)	26	1,020
75cl bottle of port	15	1,185
75cl bottle of wine (wines come in different strengths, so check the label)	7–9	555
Large glass of wine in a pub	3	185
Standard-size bottle of spirits (vodka, gin, brandy, whisky, etc.)	26-28	1,456
1-litre bottle of spirits (vodka, gin, brandy, whisky, etc.)	40	2,080
A single pub measure of spirits (vodka, gin, brandy, whisky, etc.)	1	52