Have you ever thought that your drinking may be putting you at risk of serious illness?
Use the interactive drinks calculator below to find out whether you're putting yourself at risk.
The NHS advises that men shouldn’t regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day, and women shouldn’t regularly drink more than than 2-3 units a day.
We all know that drinking to excess is unhealthy, but it's easy to regularly drink more than the recommended limit without realising it.
You don't need to feel that you have a problem with alcohol to be risking long-term damage to your health.
This rough guide gives the number of units of alcohol in popular drinks:
- 1 unit = a 25ml single (40%*) spirit and mixer.
- 2.3 units = a pint of (4%) lager, bitter or cider. A 175ml glass of (13%) wine.
- 3 units = a pint of strong (5.2%) lager or a large 250ml glass of 12% wine.
Be aware that many pubs and restaurants will often serve a glass of wine that's larger than 175ml.
That glass of wine in your hand can contain three units of alcohol. If you're a woman who tends to drink a glass most days of the week, that one drink is easily your entire day's recommended intake.
* Percentages that are given in brackets refer to Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of stated drink. For more information go to Understanding units.
