Alcohol and its effects

What is a standard drink?

It’s not the amount of liquid you’re drinking that’s important – it’s the amount of alcohol.

Standard drinks are a useful and simple way to work out how much alcohol you are drinking. Standard drinks provide a measure of the amount of pure alcohol in a drink.

A standard drink = 10g of alcohol. This is how much alcohol is typically found in:

• 330 ml can of standard beer
• 100 ml small glass of wine
• 30 ml shot of straight spirits.

Standard drinks information can be found on a bottle, can or cask. The strength of the alcohol is important in this.

When you're pouring a drink yourself you need to remember that the higher the alcohol is, the smaller the size of a standard drink. So, the volume and alcohol percentage of your drink will affect how many standard drinks you’re consuming. Use this calculator to find out how many drinks are in your glass/bottle

• If the label shows that your bottle of beer, cider or RTD (ready to drink) contains 1.5 standard drinks, then you’re drinking 15 grams of pure alcohol. This is typical of a standard beer, cider or RTD of about 5% alcohol. However, if you drink an RTD or a beer that is 9% then the number of standard drinks in the same size bottle will be almost double.
• A 750ml bottle of 12% alcohol wine contains 7 standard drinks. However, the alcohol content in wine can vary, typically ranging from 10–14%, with sherry and port higher than this and low-alcohol wines around 8%. The higher the alcohol content, the greater the number of standard drinks contained within the same volume. For example, around 11 standard drinks in a bottle of 19% port compared to 5 standard drinks in a same size bottle of 8% wine.
• If a bottle of spirits contains 32 standard drinks and you pour it into 16 glasses, each glass will contain 2 standard drinks, even if you add a mixer to it.

Tools

Test what you know and learn more with these interactive tools from the Health Promotion Agency:

Standard drinks tools
	How much are you drinking? Drinks aren't always poured to be the equivalent of 1 standard unit of alcohol. This means it can be easy to lose track of how much you've drunk. To find out how many standard drinks you are drinking, drag your drinks to the table and the tool will work it out for you.
	A guide to standard drinks Find out how many standard drinks are in typical containers of different types of alcohol. There might be more than you think!
	Can you pour a standard drink? A standard drink has 10g of pure alcohol in it. But how do you know exactly how much that is? When you're pouring a drink yourself you need to remember that the higher the alcohol is, the smaller the size of a standard drink.
	Standard drink calculator  Use this calculator to find out how many drinks are in your glass. Enter the size of your glass or bottle. Then enter the % of alcohol from the label, and see how many standard drinks you’re actually drinking. Remember, the average person can only process one standard drink an hour.

Learn more

What's a standard drink? HPA

Low-risk drinking advice for adults

The following advice from the Health Promotion Agency is to help decrease your risk of alcohol-related accidents, injuries, diseases and death.

Low risk is not no risk. Even when drinking within low-risk limits, a range of factors can affect your level of risk, including the rate of drinking, your body type or genetic makeup, your gender, existing health problems and whether you are young or an older person. 

Reduce your long-term health risks by drinking no more than:

• 2 standard drinks a day for women and no more than 10 standard drinks a week
• 3 standard drinks a day for men and no more than 15 standard drinks a week.

With at least 2 alcohol-free days every week.

Reduce your risk of injury on a single occasion of drinking by drinking no more than:

• 4 standard drinks for women on any single occasion
• 5 standard drinks for men on any single occasion. 

The above advice is based on 'standard drinks'.  A standard drink contains 10g of alcohol. A common serve or pour of an alcoholic beverage is often more than 1 standard drink. Find out more about standard drinks.

If you choose to drink alcohol, there are things you can do to help you stay within low-risk levels. These include to:

• know what a standard drink is
• keep track of how much you drink – daily and weekly
• set limits for yourself and stick to them
• start with non-alcoholic drinks and alternate with alcoholic drinks
• drink slowly
• try drinks with a lower alcohol content
• eat before or while you are drinking
• never drink and drive
• be a responsible host, ie, provide alcohol-free drinks and food and make sure everyone has a safe way to get home
• talk to your kids about alcohol
• limit your drinking to recommended safe levels
• have at least 2 alcohol-free days each week
• seek help if you feel your drinking is becoming a problem.

A useful way to remember the number of standard drinks to lower your risk of alcohol-related harm is this chart from the Health Promotion Agency:

When not to drink alcohol

There are times and circumstances when it is advisable not to drink alcohol.

You should not drink if you:

• are pregnant or planning to get pregnant
• are on medication that interacts with alcohol
• have a condition made worse by drinking alcohol
• feel unwell, depressed, tired or cold, as alcohol could make things worse
• are about to operate machinery or a vehicle or do anything that is risky or requires skill.

Alcohol advice for parents of children and young people

The brain is still developing in young people up to the age of 25 years, making children and young people especially vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.

Young people with their developing bodies and brains have a lower tolerance to alcohol than adults and are susceptible to more and different harms. Alcohol negatively impacts on memory and learning, thinking and processing, and mental health. 

Young people who drink alcohol are more likely to:

• experience an injury or accident related to alcohol use
• find themselves involved in an assault or arrested
• have unprotected and unwanted sex
• experience other harmful effects on their social life, finances or work/study
• be at risk of alcohol dependence.

Not drinking alcohol is the safest option for children and young people. Delaying alcohol consumption for as long as possible is advised.

If children or young people are drinking or considering drinking alcohol:

• delay drinking for as long as possible.
• supervise events or situations where there may be alcohol
• support initiatives to minimise the amount drunk
• provide positive role models in the child or young person’s life
• encourage open conversation and trusting relationships about alcohol use and its impacts.

Learn more

HPA's advice for parents and caregivers. Find practical information for parents and caregivers out about:

• Delaying introducing alcohol and being a good role model
• Factors that influence young people's drinking
• What the law says about supplying to young people 
• What to do when things go wrong
• Alcohol and your kids (download or order booklet)