How many is too many?
Well that depends on the size of your drink and what you're drinking. And this seems to be where a lot of us get caught out as not all drinks are equal.
Alcohol affects everyone in different ways and it’s important to know that drinking is never completely safe.
The Australian Alcohol Guidelines* recommend:
- healthy adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks in a week, and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day
- people under 18, and women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding shouldn't drink any alcohol.
*Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Alcohol (NHMRC 2020)
What is a standard drink?
A standard drink might be less than you think because alcoholic drinks are sold and served in many different sizes. This can make it difficult to know how many standard drinks you’re having. For example, a bottle of beer or a glass of wine is often more than one standard drink.
An Australian standard drink contains 10 g of alcohol (12.5 mL of pure alcohol). One standard drink is 285 mL of full-strength beer, a 100 mL glass of wine, or 30 mL of spirits.
Tracking how many standard drinks you’re consuming can help you follow the guidelines so you can stay as healthy as possible. If you’re driving, track your standard drinks to make sure you stay under the limit.
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Light beer
425 mL 2.7% alc/vol
Sparkling wine
100 mL 13% alc/vol
Mid-strength beer
375 mL 3.5% alc/vol
Wine
100 mL 13% alc/vol
Full-strength beer
285 mL 4.9% alc/vol
Regular cider
285 mL 4.9% alc/vol
Pre-mixed spirits
275 mL 5% alc/vol
Straight spirits
30 mL 40% alc/vol