Alcohol

What is a safe amount to drink?

Guidelines from the Department of Health state that men can drink three to four units a day safely. The safe drinking amount for women is two to three units a day. Pregnant women are advised to drink no more than one to two units a week to avoid posing a risk to their baby.

It is not advised to 'save up' drinking units during the week to use at the weekend. Drinking more than the recommended units in one session is defined as binge drinking.

What is a unit?

A unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. Different drinks have different strengths and can be served in a variety of sizes which means that one drink is not necessarily one unit.

The charts below should help you to put this into context.

The alcohol by volume (ABV) can be found on the label of your wine beer or spirit.


wine (remember your serving size at home may be more generous than a pub serving)
	125ml (small glass)	175ml (standard glass)
12% ABV	1.5 units	2.1 units
14% ABV	1.8 units	2.5 units


beer
	half a pint	330ml bottle	pint
4% ABV	1.1 units		2.2 units
5% ABV	1.4 units	1.7 units	2.8 units


spirits (remember your serving size at home may be more generous than a pub serving)
	25ml (single)	50ml (double)
40% ABV	1 unit	2 units

How can I drink safely?

Ultimately it is up to you to take responsibility for your drinking. The way you drink can seriously affect your safety and the safety of others around you.

You are at risk of being a target of crime as you are more vulnerable, or you could be the perpetrator as alcohol can cause people to become agressive.

To keep your night out a fun and safe one, try to remember the following:

have something to eat before you go out - food will line the stomach and help soak up some of the alcohol
make sure you know how you will be getting home - take the number of a local taxi firm with you and make sure you set aside enough money for your journey home
pace yourself by alternating between alcohol and soft drinks, preferably water, to keep you hydrated
don't accept drinks from strangers or leave your drinks unattended as this will avoid having your drink spiked
if you think you may have sex, take a condom with you as this will reduce your chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection
keep an eye out for your friends - they may take risks they wouldn’t normally take
allow 48 hours after a heavy drinking session before drinking again to give your body a chance to recover

What are the risks of not drinking safely?

drinking while taking medication increases the side effects of the medication and reduces the medication’s healing effect - combining alcohol and medication produces toxic bi-products which are harmful to the body and liver
taking cocaine and alcohol could lead to heart problems and a higher degree of liver damage due to a bi-product called cocaethyline
drinking alcohol when pregnant can lead to high risk of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and effect the development of the baby
prolonged alcohol use can lead to quicker onset of dementia and other neurological damage

I think I may have a problem

Occasionally we all drink more than the recommended amount, but if you or your family feel like your drinking is spiralling out of control, there is help. Kensington and Chelsea has a variety of services that you can access. Visit the treatment directory to find the right service for you.

Social Services