What's a safe level of drinking?

Department of Health guidelines state that men can drink between 3-4 units of alcohol per day without serious risk to health. This amount is reduced to between 2-3 units per day for women. These daily amounts apply whether you drink every day, once or twice a week, or occasionally. To be on the safe side, pregnant women should not drink any alcohol, or stick to no more than 1-2 units of alcohol once or twice a week. You should also avoid getting drunk if you're pregnant.

Remember that alcohol affects different people in different ways. You can be affected a lot more quickly if you've got a small body frame, you haven't eaten or you're not used to drinking. Women can be affected by alcohol more quickly than men as they are often smaller and their bodies contain less water.

One unit is considered to be 10ml of pure alcohol. A unit of alcohol is equal to about half a pint of normal strength beer, lager or cider a shot (25ml) of spirits, or 50ml of fortified wine (such as sherry or port). It's important to bear in mind that different drinks are different strengths so you can't always be sure how many units you've had. This is especially true if you're drinking export beers, high strength beers or pouring your own drinks at home as they are usually far more generous than pub drinks.

A basic guide:

• A pint of ordinary strength lager = 2 units
• A pint of strong lager = 3 units
• A pint of bitter = 2 units
• A pint of ordinary strength cider = 2 units
• A 175ml glass of red or white wine = 2 units (approximately)
• A shot of spirits = 1 unit
• A can of beer or lager = 1.5 units

Have a few days each week where you don't drink at all, but don't 'store up' your units and then binge drink (drink to get drunk) at the weekends. Binge drinking can affect your personal safety and put you at risk of serious health problems.

If you feel your social life revolves around alcohol, you're drinking alone or in the morning or you're unable to stop drinking once you start, you may have a problem. You're putting your health at serious risk of conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver, high blood pressure and mental health problems. Make an appointment to see your doctor, who will be able to refer you to someone who can help you identify your personal triggers and stop drinking.