Tips & tools to help change drinking habits

Tips and tools

Sometimes even good advice can feel confusing. If you’ve decided you want to change your drinking habits, or if you just want to find out more, our tips and tools can help you.

The tools here are designed to offer practical help and advice. Knowing what’s in your drink is a good start to taking control. Our drinks calculator shows just how much alcohol and how many calories are in your favourite tipple and our drinks diary allows you to keep track over the days and weeks.

There’s good reason to keep track of your drinking – sticking to the guidelines will make you feel better and reduce the risks associated with excessive consumption. But if you do overdo it the information here can put you back on the road to health and wellbeing. All of the advice has been provided by medical experts, so you can feel confident that you’ve got the latest information to guide you. But if the issue burning in your mind isn’t covered here, turn to our "ask an expert’" section to get the details you want.

The Government's guidelines say that a man should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day and a woman should not regularly exceed 2-3 units a day. To find out more about alcohol and its impact on your health, take a look at our Facts section. If you're worried about your drinking, you should consult your GP.

Can’t find your drink?

Work out your units for yourself with this handy sum: Strength (ABV) x Volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = No. of units

E.g.  Pint of Stella - 5.2 x 568 ÷ 1000 = 2.95 

 
Ask an expert

Everyday drinking concerns

Whilst not dependent on alcohol, my dad drinks alcohol every day. Should I be concerned?

Our expert says:

The first thing to point out is that advice from the Chief Medical Officer is that you should have at least two alcohol free days per week. This gives your liver a chance to properly metabolise the alcohol and recover from what is a potentially toxic substance. Your dad should therefore try to cut back on the frequency of his alcoholic intake, in order to ensure his liver continues to function well.

Secondly, it very much depends on how much he is drinking each day. The safe daily guidelines for men have been set at 3-4 units; this is the equivalent of 1½- 2 pints of 5% beer/lager, or a large glass (250ml) of 12% wine. Drinking more than this can significantly increase your chance of developing cirrhosis of the liver, oral cancers, high blood pressure and of having a haemorrhagic stroke.

If you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking then you can contact Drinkline on 0800 917 8282. (Drinkline is a 24 hour confidential helpline run by fully trained advisers, who can also advise you on services in your local area).

For more information on the links between excessive alcohol consumption and different conditions please see our factsheet pages.

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