HOW MANY UNITS IN A DRINK? CHECK THE LABEL Most drinks tell you how many units are in them

Know your limits

= Units of alcohol 1 A small bottle (275ml) A half pint A single per 125ml glass of lower strength (4%) of lower strength (4%) measure of , or cider spirit (40%) 2= A standard glass (175ml) A pint A 440ml can A double measure of of lower strength (12%) of lower strength (4%) of medium strength (4.5%) spirit (40%) or champagne lager, beer or cider lager, beer or cider

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that adults do not regularly exceed: 3= A pint of A large glass (250ml) A large bottle (700ml) medium strength (5%) of lower strength of lower strength (4%) lager, beer or cider (12%) wine alcopop 14 units a week for both men and women.

= Drinks should be spread over a number 4 A large bottle (700ml) A 500ml can of days. There are no of higher strength (5.5%) of higher strength (7.5%) safe limits for under alcopop How many unitslager, in a drink? beer or 1 cider 18 years of age.

1 to 2 units The excess amount of alcohol in the After drinking 1 to 2 units of alcohol, the system can also upset digestion, leading heart rate speeds up and blood vessels to nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and expand, giving people the warm, sociable indigestion. and talkative feeling associated with moderate drinking. More than 12 units If someone drinks more than 12 units of 4 to 6 units alcohol, they’re at considerable risk of developing alcohol poisoning, particularly if After drinking 4 to 6 units of alcohol, the drinking many units over a short period of brain and nervous system starts to be time. affected. Alcohol begins to affect the part of the brain associated with judgement and It usually takes the liver about an hour to decision making, which makes people less remove one unit of alcohol from the body. inhibited. Alcohol poisoning occurs when excessive The alcohol begins to interrupt brain amounts of alcohol start to interfere with signalling, making people feel light-headed the body’s automatic functions, such as: and slowing down reaction times and co- • breathing ordination. • heart rate • gag reflex, which prevents you choking 8 to 9 units Alcohol poisoning can cause a person to After drinking 8 to 9 units of alcohol, fall into a coma and could lead to their reaction times will be much slower, speech death. will begin to slur and vision can begin to lose focus. It will depend on how fast Other risks someone is drinking and whether they have Some of the other risks associated with eaten or paced their drinking with water or alcohol misuse include: soft drinks. • accidents and injury – More than 1 in 10 The liver, which filters alcohol out of the visits to accident and emergency (A&E) body, will be unable to remove all of the departments are because of alcohol- alcohol overnight (9 hours to break down related illnesses. 9 units), so it’s likely that if drinking this • violence and antisocial behaviour – Each much, a person will wake with a hangover. year in England about half a million violent incidents are linked to alcohol 10 to 12 units misuse. After drinking 10 to 12 units of alcohol, • unsafe sex – This can lead to unplanned coordination will be highly impaired, placing pregnancies and sexually transmitted the person at serious risk of having an infections (STIs). accident. The high level of alcohol has a • loss of personal possessions – Many depressant effect (slowing things down) people lose personal possessions, such on both the mind and body, which makes as their wallet or mobile phone, when people feel drowsy. they’re drunk. The body attempts to quickly pass out the • unplanned time off work or college – This alcohol in urine. This will leave the person could put your job or education at risk. feeling badly dehydrated in the morning, which may cause a severe headache.

How many units in a drink? 2