Alcohol Fact Sheet

One unit of alcohol is roughly equivalent to half a pint of normal strength beer, or a small glass of wine, or one pub measure of spirits.

For Men

• Regular consumption of 3 to 4 units a day by men of all ages equals a low level of risk to your health.
• Consistently drinking more than 4 units a day is not advised.
• Any health benefit from drinking applies only to men over 40. Drinking one or two units a day will offer some protection against heart disease.

For Women

• Regular consumption of 2 to 3 units a day by women of all ages equals a low level of risk to your health.
• Consistently drinking more than 3 units a day is not advised.
• Any health benefit from drinking applies only to women who have been through the menopause. Drinking one or two units a day will offer some protection against heart disease.
• Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should not drink more than 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week.

Health Harms

• In the UK it has been found there is an overall rate of alcohol dependence of 4.7% or 47 per 1000 people aged 16-64.
• The cost of alcohol misuse to the health service to be £1.7bn per annum.
• Annual expenditure of £95m on specialist alcohol treatment.
• Over 30,000 hospital admissions annually for alcohol dependence syndrome.
• Up to 22,000 premature deaths per annum.
• Up to 70% of all admissions to accident and emergency (A&E).
• A rising trend in deaths from chronic liver disease, with most cases most probably being caused by high levels of alcohol consumption.

Mortality

Eight causes of death known or believed to be related to alcohol are:

1. Cirrhosis
2. Cancer of the Oral Cavity
3. Cancer of the Pharynx
4. Cancer of the Oesophogus
5. Cancer of the Liver
6. Cancer of the Larynx
7. Falls on stairs
8. Other "alcohol-related diseases", a single category which includes alcohol dependence syndrome, nondependent use of alcohol, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, alcoholic liver damage and accidental poisoning by alcohol.

Harms to family and society

• The human and emotional impact suffered by victims of alcohol-related crime is calculated to be £4.7bn per annum.
• Between 780,000 and 1.3m children are affected by parental alcohol problems.
• Marriages where there are alcohol problems are twice as likely to end in divorce.
• In addition, up to half of rough sleepers have problems with alcohol.
• Alcohol misuse can seriously damage families and communities, and its effects are also felt more widely across society.
• As taxpayers, we pay for the costs of alcohol-related crime and health problems.
• As citizens, we are affected by the visible effects of alcohol misuse on our streets.

Binge-drinking

• Binge drinking can be defined as drinking twice (or more) the recommended daily intake of alcohol in one go.
• Binge-drinkers are at increased risk of accidents and alcohol poisoning.
• Men in particular are more likely both to be a victim of violence and to commit violent offences.
• There can also be a greater risk of sexual assault.
• The impacts on society are visible in, for example, high levels of attendance at A&E related to alcohol.
• 5.9 million people have drunk more than twice the daily guidelines in the past week.

Situations when it is not appropriate to drink at all

• Before or during driving
• Before swimming
• Generally, before or during active sport
• Before using machinery, electrical equipment, ladders etc.
• Before working or in the workplace
• When taking medication where alcohol is contra-indicated - check with your doctor or pharmacist.

In addition, 65% of suicide attempts are linked to heavy drinking.

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Related Pages

Are you an Alcoholic?
Living with an alcoholic
PROMIS Helping with Alcohol