TUMS - Annandale & Eskdale Family Support Group
Alcohol
Alcohol is so widely used that we forget the harm it may cause.
If you are affected by someone’s drinking here is how you can find out as more information to help you understand better the risks involved.
This page should help you with basic understanding and show you some helpful links for more detailed information.
How much do you really know?
Did you know that a pint of normal strength lager contains about 2 units of alcohol, and that a large glass of wine can contain more than 3?
Sometimes it can be difficult to realise how much we are drinking because drinks vary in strength and measures vary in size. But if we don't understand the basics, how can we make informed decisions about our drinking habits and how they compare with advice on sensible drinking.
Immediate effects
Enters the bloodstream within 30 minutes and then travels straight to the brain. Reduces inhibitions and increases sense of relaxation. Each unit takes an hour for the body to process.
Risks
- Short term
- Hangover including dehydration, headache, nausea and depression. Intoxication can lead to aggressive/irrational behaviour and accidents.
- Long term
- Regular heavy drinking can cause stomach disorders, cancer of mouth, throat and gullet, liver cirrhosis, brain damage, high blood pressure, problems with the nervous system, sexual and mental health problems, and family and work problems.
Personal Safety
Alcohol effects our judgement and many people take more risks while drunk. Safety advice can often help reduce those risks
- Organise your transport home prior to going out
- Carry enough money to get home and make a phone call
- Let someone know what you plan to do and when you should be home
- Stick with your friends and don't go off alone or with someone you have just met
- Don't leave your drink unattended
- Take a coat and wrap up on the way home
- Carry condoms
- Don't get draw into disputes, violence or criminal acts
- Remember you are not invincible, Spiderman or Lara Croft
Sensible Limits
| Male | Female |
| 21 units maximum per week | 14 units maximum per week |
| 3-4 units a day | 2-3 units a day |
Remember that the guidelines suggest you have two consecutive days off from drinking each week. Try not to consume your weekly totals in one or two sessions.
But what's a unit ?
1 unit = 10ml of pure alcohol
The body is able to Safely get rid of one unit of alcohol per hour !
Visit the Drink Aware Website for an online calculator. This will navigate you away from this page.
Tips for Safer drinking
- Stick to sensible limits
- Spread your weekly limits over a week
- Use recommended guidelines
- Try not to binge drink
- Know your own limits
- Don't try to keep up with others or drink more when you are drunk
- Eat before you drink
- This makes the body absorb alcohol slower so limits the time it takes to get into the blood stream. It also helps supply you with nutrients that will help you expel the alcohol from your system
- Use soft drink 'spacers'
- Alternate between alcoholic and soft drinks.
- Drink a large glass of water before you go to sleep
- This will help your liver expel the toxins alcohol leaves in your body.
- Don't drink every day
- Have at least 2 alcohol free days per week
- Check the strength, cut the quantity
- Drink strength varies, choose a lower alcohol option and consider cutting back
Legal Status
It's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 years old.
What is that advice?
It's that men should drink no more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol per day, and women no more than 2 to 3 units. Regularly exceeding these limits can lead to health problems. After any episode of heavy drinking, avoid alcohol for 48 hours to let your body recover. Scottish Government recommends that we should all aim to avoid alcohol for at least 2 days a week.
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
| Beers/lagers
|
Barbican | 0.02 | 440ml | <0.01 | |
| Kaliber | 0.05 | Pint | 0.03 | ||
| Tennents LA | 1.2 | 440ml | 0.5 | ||
| Mild/light beers (various brands) | 3.1 | Pint | 1.8 | ||
| Best bitter (various brands) | 3.5 | Pint | 2.0 | ||
| Skol | 3.6 | Pint | 2.0 | ||
| McEwans/Labatt | 4.0 | Pint | 2.3 | ||
| Guinness draft stout | 4.1 | Pint | 2.3 | ||
| Grolsch | 5.0 | 440ml | 2.2 | ||
| Premium beer/lager (various brands) | 5.0 | Pint | 2.8 | ||
| Stella Artois | 5.2 | 330ml | 1.7 | ||
| Lowenbrau Pils | 6.0 | 440ml | 2.6 | ||
| Hofmeister Special | 9.0 | 440ml | 4.0 | ||
| Kestral Super | 9.5 | 440ml | 4.2 | ||
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
| Ciders/Perries
|
Strongbow LA | 0.9 | 330ml | 0.3 | |
| Woodpecker | 3.5 | Pint | 2.0 | ||
| Strongbow | 4.5 | 1000ml | 4.5 | ||
| Old English | 5.5 | Pint | 3.1 | ||
| Strongbow Super | 8.0 | Pint | 4.5 | ||
| Diamond White | 8.2 | 275ml | 2.3 | ||
Strong White Cider |
8.4 |
1000ml |
8.4 |
||
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
| Spirit based drinks with mixers (alcopops)
|
Hooch | 4.7 | 330ml | 1.6 | |
| WKD Original Vodka Blue or Iron Brew | 5.5 | 330ml | 1.8 | ||
| Smirnoff Ice | 5.5 | 275ml | 1.5 | ||
| Bacardi Breezer | 5.4 | 275ml | 1.5 | ||
| Metz Snapps (Black, Still or Original) | 5.4 | 275ml | 1.5 | ||
| Vodka Red Square (Barrs Irn Bru) | 5.5 | 275ml | 1.5 | ||
Aftershock |
40.0 |
700ml |
28.0 |
||
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
Vodka Hooch |
Lemon/Apple/Orange/Hoopers Hooch |
4.7-5.1 |
330ml |
1.6-1.7 |
|
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
| Shooters (addition to main drink)
|
Jelly Pots | 15.0 | 47ml | 0.7 | |
| Sidekick | 20.0 | 30ml | 0.6 | ||
| Aftershock | 40.0 | 30ml | 1.2 | ||
| Frostbite | 50.0 | 30ml | 1.5 | ||
Absinthe |
75.0 |
30ml |
2.3 |
||
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
Wines |
Various brands |
9-14 |
750ml |
6.8-10.5 |
|
A purchased glass of wine can vary from 125 to 250 ml and can contain 1.1-3.5 units per glass depending on % alcohol. |
|||||
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
| Fortified Wines and other
|
Cinzano bianco/Buckfast | 14.7 | 750ml | 11.0 | |
| Croft Original Sherry | 17.5 | 750ml | 13.1 | ||
Cockburn’s Port |
20.0 |
750ml |
15.0 |
||
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
| Spirits
|
Gordons Dry Gin/Smirnoff Vodka | 37.5 | 700ml | 26.3 | |
| Bacardi White Rum | 37.5 | 700ml | 26.3 | ||
| Bells Whisky/Martell cognac brandy | 40.0 | 700ml | 28.00 | ||
Captain Morgan’s dark rum |
40.0 |
700ml |
28.0 |
||
A purchased measure of spirit is 25 or 35 ml. A 25ml measure of 40% spirit contains 1 unit of alcohol |
|||||
| Beverage type | Alcohol by volume (%) | Measure | Alcohol content (units) | ||
| Liqueurs
|
Bailey’s Irish Cream | 17.0 | 350ml | 6.0 | |
| Archers Peach Schnapps | 23.0 | 700ml | 16.0 | ||
| Apricot Brandy/Crème de Menthe/Malibu | 24.0 | 700ml | 16.8 | ||
Pernod/Cointreau/Drambuie |
40.0 |
700ml |
28.0 |
||