Alcohol
Drinking and you
Alcohol can be one of life’s pleasures - it can help you unwind and relax, and it’s enjoyable to drink with friends. But it’s easy for one drink to lead to another and you can end up having more than you intended.
The recommended amount for a man to drink is not more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day. It’s a good idea to have one or two alcohol-free days a week.
Units
A unit is a way of measuring alcohol in different drinks – it’s equal to a single pub measure of spirits.
- A pint of Carling or Fosters is about 2.3 units; a can is about 1.8 units
- A pint of Stella or Export is about 3 units; a can is about 2.2 units
- Alcopops like Smirnoff Ice or Bacardi Breezer are about 1.4 units a bottle
- Wine is 2 to 2.5 units for an average (175ml) glass, or about 9 to 10.5 units a bottle.
Why have limits?
Alcohol can cause problems both short-term and long-term.
Short-term there’s increased risk of accidents and injuries, getting into fights, becoming a victim of crime or violence, impotence and sexual problems (the dreaded Brewer’s Droop), passing out and suffocation.
Long-term the risks include liver disease, cancers, mental health problems and stomach ulcers, and a bigger risk of heart disease.
Alcohol is fattening
A glass of wine has as many calories as a Domino’s cheese and tomato pizza; three pints of beer is as fattening as a quarter pounder with cheese.
Alcohol and mental health
Having a drink after a busy day can be a good way to unwind – but drinking regularly to cope with anxiety, stress or depression will only make things worse in the long term. Alcohol is a depressant drug and if you are already feeling low it will just make you feel even more down. If you’re having relationship problems drinking isn’t an answer – arguments, fights and violence are more likely to happen when people have been drinking.
Keep the balance
- Decide how many units you want to drink in an evening – and stick to it.
- Reduce your units by choosing drinks which are less strong.
- Avoid top-ups so you can keep track of your units.
- Drink water before you go out – and have water or a soft drink between each alcoholic one
- Eat before you go out and while you are drinking.
- Have a couple of no-drinking days every week.
- Limit the amount of cash you take out with you – and leave your credit cards at home.
Plan how you’re getting home before you go out. Have a designated driver, or use a licensed taxi.
Don’t drink in rounds – you’ll end up drinking more and faster. Try not to go out too often with heavy drinking friends.
How can you tell if you're drinking too much?
You could have a problem if
- You get drunk regularly
- You can’t stop once you’ve started
- You’re drinking more than before
- You’re drinking alone
- You’re losing interest in things you used to enjoy
- You make excuses to drink
- You let people down due to drinking
- You smell of alcohol during the day
- You feel guilty about drinking
- You get the shakes or need a drink in the morning
