Drug and Alcohol Issues
Standard Drinks: How much alcohol is "sensible"?
Alcohol can be an enjoyable part of your social life. However, it really depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. An enjoyable night can quickly turn to an unsafe one if alcohol is consumed excessively.
What is excessive use of alcohol?
It is important to remember that alcohol will affect people differently. Your body size, gender, the amount of food you have consumed and whole range of other factors will influence the way in which alcohol is absorbed by the body.
Example:
Women's bodies typically contain a higher percentage of fat and a lower percentage of water than men's bodies. Therefore the same amount of alcohol will produce higher blood alcohol levels in women than in men.
The National Health and Medical Research Council provides guidelines on recommended sensible levels of alcohol consumption. These are intended as a guide only:
|
Drinks per day |
Drinks per day |
|
|
Low Risk |
Up to 2 |
Up to 4 |
|
Medium risk |
2 - 4 |
4 - 6 |
|
Harmful |
More than 4 |
More than 6 |
NOTE: The reference to "drinks" means "Standard drinks". It is very important to know how much alcohol is in a standard drink, particularly if you are driving.
Standard Drinks
| Wine | Small glass/100ml: (a lot of wine glasses hold much more than 100ml so be particularly careful if you plan to drive). There are approximately 7.5 standard drinks in a bottle of wine (depending on the brand and the bottle). |
| Beer | Schooner/425ml of light beer Middy/pot/285ml of full strength beer If you are drinking bottled beer, check the label to determine how many standard drinks it contains. |
| Spirits | 1 nip (30ml) Remember that premixed drinks have varying levels of alcohol so check the label to see how many standard drinks are in each one. |
When you pour your drinks at home it is easy to misjudge the number of standard drinks you are consuming. Familiarise yourself with the quantity of alcohol that makes up a standard drink.
Avoid topping your drinks up and don't fill your guest's glass until its empty. It's also a good idea to keep a nip measure handy. This will help you keep track of your drinks and will ensure you exercise responsibility as a good host