What is the safe limit?

There are no clear guidelines for those under 18. Health experts recommend that adult men drink no more than 21 units per week, and women 14 units. So for those at high school the safe limit is considerably lower.

For those who do consume 10.5 units a week, they are drinking exactly half the limit for adult males and three quarters of the limit for females - which is not considered safe for 11 to 15 year olds. And, since 10.5 units could be consumed in a single binge drinking session the effects could be significantly worse.

Top tips for safe drinking

If you are going to drink, however old you are, you can enjoy it safely with a little thought - be aware of the effects and know your limits.

• Plan how you are going to get home safely and put money aside for a taxi
• Eat before you go out
• Drink water to stay hydrated
• Pace yourself, make every other drink a soft drink
• Don’t drink in rounds
• Don’t mix your drinks
• Don’t accept drinks from strangers and never leave your drink unattended
• Don’t walk home alone
• Look out for your friends

How many units are there in my drink?

It varies a lot by drink, and measures can vary but as a guide -

• Alcopops
  at 5.5% ABV = 1.5 units per 330ml bottle
  Bacardi Breezer / Smirnoff Ice / Metz / WKD Blue / Reef
• Standard Beers and Lagers
  at 3 to 4% ABV = 2 to 2.5 units per pint
  Heineken / Carling / Fosters / John Smiths / Boddingtons / Guinness
• Premium or Export Beers and Lagers
  at 5 to 6% ABV = 3 units per pint and 1.5 units per 330ml bottle
  Stella Artois / Budweiser / Becks / Kronenbourg 1664
• Super-strength Lagers
  at 9% ABV = 4 units per can
  Tennents Super / Carlsberg Special Brew
• Regular Cider
  at 5 to 6% ABV = 3 units per pint and 2.5 units per can
  Strongbow / Dry Blackthorn / Scrumpy Jack
• Strong Cider
  at 7 to 8% ABV = 2 to 2.5 units per 275ml bottle and 3.5 units per can
  Diamond White / White Lightning
• Spirits and Liqueurs
  at 40% ABV, 25 ml pub measure = 1 unit, 70 cl bottle = 28 units)
  Vodka / Whisky / Gin / Rum / Brandy / Tequila / Southern Comfort
• Liqueurs & Fortified Wines
  at around 20%, 50 ml pub measure = 1 unit
  Baileys / Peach Schnapps / Cherry Brandy / Pimms
• Wines
  The alcohol content of wines vary from 9% ABV = 7 units per 75 cl bottle
  to 14% ABV = 10.5 units per 75 cl bottle

For more help and information

Links and helplines

The links listed provide additional information or an alternative view on this issue.

If you need to talk about your problems with someone you don’t know, all the helplines listed are free, confidential and manned by professionally trained counsellors.

 

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