What is alcohol? In its purest form alcohol is known as Ethanol. The ethanol content in a drink is measured in terms of the volume fraction of ethanol, shown either as a percentage (ABV) or in units. Ethanol is described as a colourless volatile flammable liquid, which is produced by the natural fermentation of sugars. Alcohol is a powerful psychoactive drug, which has a significant effect on mood and behaviour and people are often surprised to find it is a depressant and NOT a stimulant. This is just one of the reasons it can have dangerous consequences, especially when mixing it with other drugs (both prescribed and illicit). What is a unit of alcohol? One unit equals 10 ml or 8 g of pure alcohol (ethanol) and units are a simple way of expressing the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink. The number of units in a drink are based on the size of the drink, as well as its alcohol strength. In 2016, the UK’s chief medical officers reviewed and introduced new alcohol guidelines for the first time in 20 years. The NHS recommendations are now the same for both men and women, and advise limiting alcohol consumption to no more than 14 units a week over the course of 3 days or more – this is classed as lower risk. The reason for the change in guidance is to help reduce the risk of the many physical and mental health illnesses that are now associated with alcohol. Binge drinking: UK researchers commonly define binge drinking as consuming more than 6 units of alcohol in a single session. Drinking a toxic amount of alcohol over a short space of time, such as on a night out, puts you at high risk of alcohol poisoning as the body does not have enough time to process it all. Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning: The signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:
For a full unit guide, read more at our Alcohol Units Guide. A process that works well when working with a person that drinks wine is to do a comparison of their units to content to a bottle of spirits. Some examples are a bottle of 12% wine (9 units) equates to 1/3rd of 70 cl bottle of whisky. 6 pints of a standard larger (13.8 units) equates to approximately ½ bottle of whisky. Alcohol awareness week is 19th to 25th November and the theme for 2018 is change. To see how much you are drinking on a daily basis, use our drinks journal to understand your alcohol consumption.
- Confusion
- Vomiting
- Severely slurred speech
- Slow or irregular breathing
- Stupor (conscious but non-responsive)
- Passing out and being unconscious
- Hypothermia (caused by low body temperature)
| Carling 4.1% 1 x 500 ml can = 2.1 units 1 pint = 2.3 units | Stella Artois 4.8% 1 x 500 ml can = 2.4 units 1 pint = 2.7 units | Strongbow Cider 5.3% 1 x 500 ml can = 2.7 units 1 pint = 3 units |
| Guinness 4.2% 1 x 500 ml can = 2.1 units 1 pint = 2.3 units | Tennants Super 9% 1 x 500 ml can = 4.5 units 1 pint = 5.1 units | Wine 12% 1 x 250ml large glass = 3 units 1 bottle = 9 units |
| Spirits 37.5% 1 x 25 ml single shot = 0.93 units 1 x 700 ml bottle = 26.3 units 1 Litre bottle = 37.5 units | ||
