General alcohol advice
Understanding the facts about alcohol can help you avoid drinking at levels that may damage your health.
Alcohol units
Alcohol units are a simple way of understanding the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink.
One unit is 10 millilitres (ml) or 8 grams (g) of pure alcohol. Alcoholic drinks come in different strengths and sizes so units can help you:
- work out how strong your drink is
- make comparisons
To keep the risk of alcohol-related health problems low, it’s recommended to drink no more than 14 units per week. This is equivalent to 6 pints of average strength beer or 6 medium (175ml) glasses of average strength wine.
You should spread these units over 3 or more days and make sure you have several alcohol-free days per week.
Health effects of alcohol
Alcohol can affect your body, lifestyle and mental health in both the short and long-term. Being aware of these effects means that you can make an informed choice about your drinking.
Going out and socialising
Find suggestions to help you keep in control of your drinking when you’re going out and socialising.
Useful resources
The Alcohol Change UK website provides information to help you understand more about your own drinking habits and how to cut down.
You can use a range of interactive tools including a:
- unit calculator to find out how many units are in a drink and how much you’re drinking across - typical week
- drinking health check to help you see if your drinking is likely to be affecting your health
- body map to explore some of the common effects of alcohol on your body
You can also download the free Try Dry app to help you meet your goals, whether you want to:
- take on a dry challenge
- cut down on your drinking
- go totally alcohol-free
Follow the Alcohol Change UK WhatsApp channel for weekly tips on drinking less.