For those who drink, alcohol is something to be enjoyed. Most of the time, drinking doesn’t cause any problems but drinking too much or at the wrong time can be harmful. The important thing is to know where the benefits end and the risks begin. The Department of Health advises that men should not regularly drink more than 3 – 4 units of alcohol per day, and women should not regularly drink more than 2 – 3 units of alcohol per day. After an episode of heavy drinking it is advisable to refrain from drinking for 48 hours to allow your body to recover. This is a short term measure. People whose pattern of drinking places them at significant risk should seek professional advice.What is a unit of alcohol?A unit of alcohol is 10ml of pure alcohol. Counting units of alcohol can help us to keep track of the amount we’re drinking. The list below shows the number of units of alcohol in common drinks:- A pint of ordinary strength lager (Carling Black Label, Fosters) – 2 units A pint of strong lager (Stella Artois, Kronenbourg 1664) – 3 units A pint of ordinary bitter (John Smith’s, Boddingtons) – 2 units A pint of best bitter (Fuller’s ESB, Young’s Special) – 3 units A pint of ordinary strength cider (Woodpecker) – 2 units A pint of strong cider (Dry Blackthorn, Strongbow) – 3 units A 175ml glass of red or white wine – around 2 units A pub measure of spirits – 1 unit An alcopop (eg Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezer, WKD, Reef) – around 1.5 units Today the labels of many bottled drinks will tell you how many units of alcohol are in the bottle....
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