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11 June 2010 Group C alcohol facts

Fact	England	USA	Algeria	Slovenia
Number of litres of pure alcohol drunk per year (WHO data 2003)	11.5	8.6	0.2 (Islamic country)	6.7
Legal drinking age	5 (in private) 16 (in restaurants/with food) 18 (otherwise)	21 (varies in some states)	18	18
Purchase age	18	21	18	18
Unit guidelines	2-3 women 3-4 men	Men: 1-2 units/day (14-28g/day 1.75-3.5 UK units ), not to exceed 14 units/week (196g/week 24.5 UK units) Women: 1 unit/day (14g/day), not to exceed 7units/week (98g/week)	n/a	Men: Not to exceed 20g/day (2.5 UK units) and not to exceed 50g (6.25 UK units)/drinking occasion. Women: not to exceed 10g/day (1.25 UK units) and not to exceed 30g (3.75 units)/drinking occasion.
Size of a unit	8g	14g	n/a	n/a
Notes on drinking culture	Alcohol is a central focus of most social activities - celebration, commemoration, casual social encounters, or is used to relax at the end of the day. There is a growing culture of drinking wine with food at home, where once the majority of alcohol was drunk in the pub. Lager and/or ale remain very popular drinks both in the pub and at home. Frequently consumed only once or twice a week in large amounts. Sold in many different locations and available in most restaurants. Drunkenness seen as rite of passage for many people.	Attitudes to alcohol vary from state to state. To buy and consume alcohol in the US, you need to be 21. Utah, predominantly Mormon, has the most restrictions. Many other states prohibit selling alcohol on Sunday, during elections, or - in the case of many counties- at all. A few states - Vermont, Oklahoma, and Utah - restrict beer’s alcohol content to 3.2 percent. In more liberal areas, alcohol can be bought and drunk any time between 6am and 4am, seven days a week. (New Orleans is a law unto itself, with certain bars open 24 hours and a far from rigid ID policy)	Algeria produces a selection of wine (not in big volume anymore) and also beer. However, Algeria is a Muslim country, and alcohol is not sold everywhere. Wine and alcoholic drinks are sold in a few restaurants in the big cities, high end hotels, and night clubs. Alcohol is also available in restaurants found in parks. Finally, you can buy your own bottle of Algerian wine to take home in discrete shops that sell alcohol. Drinking is mainly in private but social.	Alcohol is generally an important part of Slovene culture and is often associated with cultural rituals and festivals. Slovenia has a tradition of wine making, beer brewing and home distilling. The most popular drink among the Slovenes has always been wine. Vineyards cover around 25,000 hectares of Slovenia. The Slovenian national anthem ties the national identity with the act of alcohol consumption: being called Zdravljica (A Toast).

Drinkaware advises men not to regularly drink more than 3–4 units of alcohol a day.