The UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMO) low risk drinking guidelines advise that men and women are safest not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week (this is equivalent to six pints of average strength beer, or six 175ml glasses of average strength wine). If people do chose to drink as much as 14 units, it is best to spread them evenly over three days or more.
Drinkaware is an independent charity working to reduce alcohol misuse and harm in the UK. We're here to help people make better choices about drinking.
Drinking within the low risk drinking guidelines can help keep health risks from the effects of alcohol low.
If you do choose to drink, you should spread the units evenly across the week rather than “saving-up” all your drinks for one or two days. If you want to cut down, a great way is to have several drink-free days a week. Test out having a break from alcohol for yourself and see what positive results you notice.
It was previously thought that some alcohol was good for the heart. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) guidance now points out that very low levels of drinking can have cardio-protective effects for older women (aged 55 and over drinking around 5 units a week).
The guidance now reflects a better understanding of the health harms linked to drinking alcohol than in previous years. By drinking more than the low risk drinking guidelines you could be seriously damaging your health without realising it.
Instantly cut-back by drinking more slowly, ensure you have eaten properly or alternate alcoholic drinks with a soft drink or water.
The alcohol content of drinks is measured in units. One unit is 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. This equals one 25ml single measure of whisky (ABV 40%), a third of a pint of beer (ABV 5-6%) or half a standard (175ml) glass of red wine (ABV 12%).
Visit our What is an alcohol Unit? page to watch a short animation which clearly explains more.
The NHS defines binge drinking as “drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk”.1
The definition used by the Office of National Statistics for binge drinking is having over 8 units in a single session for men and over 6 units per women.2
Of course, people may drink at different speeds or drink over a different amount of time and so not everyone will interpret this definition in exactly the same way.
What we can say is that the risk of short-term harms like accidents or injuries increase between two to five times from drinking five-seven units.3 This is equivalent to 2-3 pints of beer.
There are short and long term effects of regularly drinking more than the low risk unit guidelines.
But when you reduce your drinking, the short term symptoms of consuming too much alcohol can improve.
Short-term effects of alcohol can include:
Some effects of drinking to excess are not reversible and can cause permanent damage to your long-term health.
Long-term effects of alcohol can include:
Alcohol can be just as fattening as some foods. For example a 4% ABV pint of beer can have as many calories as a slice of pizza (197 calories). A glass of 13% ABV wine can have as many calories as a slice of sponge cake (195 calories).
But it isn’t just the calories in the drink that makes you gain weight. Alcohol reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy.4 Because we can’t store alcohol in the body, our systems want to get rid of it as quickly as possible, and this process takes priority over absorbing nutrients and burning fat.
In particular, binge drinking may be linked to weight gain. It has been suggested that binge drinking for some may lead to unhealthy over-eating and lack of exercise, all contributing to weight gain or obesity (6).
Slimming World have produced a report on the link between excessive alcohol consumption and obesity.
You can keep your risk low by staying within the government’s recommended low risk guidance. Here are three ways to help you cut back:
Your GP can help you figure out if you should make any changes in your drinking, and offer help and advice along the way.
If you’re concerned about someone’s drinking, or your own, Drinkline runs a free, confidential helpline. Call 0800 917 8282.
[5] Office of National Statistics. (2015). Alcohol-related deaths in the UK, registered in 2013
