Units of Alcohol|Drinking Alcohol.

What is an alcohol unit. As explained in effects of alcohol, there so many serious health and social complications of drinking excess alcohol, that it was necessary to bring out and recommend safe drinking limits for men and women. Alcohol units have been referenced to define the safe limits in a man or woman of drinking alcohol.

Alcohol Unit.

An average healthy adult can metabolize one alcohol unit in one hour. Alcohol units vary from country to country. In the U.K. one unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10 ml of pure alcohol by volume or 8 gms of pure alcohol by weight. In everyday life, one alcohol unit is equal to about:-

• Half pint of mild strength beer ( 4% by volume).
• 25 ml of whiskey of 40% alcohol by volume.
• 50 ml of fortified red wine such as port or sherry of 20% alcohol by volume.

However,  stronger alcoholic beverages by volume percentage than the above are available and consumed. In such cases, a simple formula can be used to calculate the number of  units in alcohol you have consumed:

Calculate alcohol units in your drink.

The strength of the alcoholic beverage (alcohol percent by volume) multiply by the volume of the drink consumed (in milliliters) divided by 1000. For example if you have drunk one liter of strong beer of 6% alcohol by volume, then your consumed units will be 6.

Alcohol unit table.

Recommended Alcohol Units.

The government of U.K. has advised the following safe limits of drinking alcohol for regular drinking:

• 3 to 4 units a day for men, that is about a 1 and half pint of 4% beer or about 90 ml (one and half pegs) of 40% whiskey.
• 2 to 3 units a day for women, that is about 175 ml glass of 13% wine.
• Recommended alcohol units for pregnant women. Pregnant women, at best should abstain from drinking alcohol, though light drinking would not pose any health risks or cause alcohol fetal syndrome. Light drinking would mean one to two units not more than once or twice a week.

Weekly Alcohol Units.

• Men should not drink more than 21 alcohol units per week. It does not mean you can drink 21 units once a week. These recommended alcohol units per week are to be spaced out and should not exceed 4 alcohol units per day.
• Recommended alcohol units per week for women are 14 units to be spaced out during the week.

Safe units of Drinking Alcohol before driving.

It is strongly recommended that one should never drink before or while driving. However circumstances may force one and the U.K. government has provided the following safe drinking limits before driving.

• Men should not drink more than four units of alcohol before driving.
• Women should not drink more than three units of alcohol before driving.
• If you have to drive the next day in the morning,  men should not drink more than 10 alcohol units the previous night, and
• Women should not drink more than seven alcohol units the previous night if they have drive the next day in the morning.

Our other posts on Alcohol.

1) What is Alcohol.2) Alcohol Statistics.3) Alcohol units.4) Alcoholic and Alcoholism.5) Effects of alcohol.6) Alcohol Poisoning.7) Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal.9) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.10) Treatment for Alcohol.11)Alcoholism Rehab.

Related posts:

1. Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal|Alcohol Detox.
2. Treatment for Alcohol|Detoxing Alcohol.
3. Alcoholism Rehab|Alcohol Rehab|Rehab Centers.
4. Alcohol Poisoning Causes, Symptoms, Effects and Treatment.
5. Alcohol.
6. Alcoholic|Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Causes and Symptoms.
7. Effects of Alcohol.
8. Alcohol Statistics.