21 Units Alcohol a Week

donaghs

Just wondering what people make of the 21 Units of Alcohol a Week recommendation, esp the medics here?

I don't drink as much as would have in my early 20s, so I tend to stick to around that amount most weeks. It does seem very low though, particularly as the recommendation for women is half that amount.

I realise some sort of general figure has to be reached as people have different factors like BMI influencing how they can handle alcohol.

Personally, when I first heard about it I thought, "That's ridiculous, how can you drink less than that if you go out 2 nights a week?". I did find it a useful way of counting what I was drinking, perhaps influencing my reduction in alcohol intake over the years.

hunnymonster

It's one of those things that people have different points of view on. I thought 14 units was suggested for women, but I wouldn't be able to handle that much alcohol at all. I'm an absolute wreck the day after just 2-3 drinks.

tallaght01

Your risks increase the more booze you drink.

They picked an arbitrary point on that risk curve, and used it for the guidlines.

The Scots often talk about 5 units a day for a male, as it's 40g of ethanol (I think). This is the rough amount that doubles your risk of liver disease. I think it's called "hazardous drinking". Some people think if you stay below that you'll be ok. Hard to tell though.

The one thing that can be said with certainty though is that you can't store up your 21 units and have them all in one night

donaghs

Yeh sorry, it is 14 units for a woman. Still a good bit less than 21 for a man. When you see drunk women staggering around town I think we can conclude they've hit their weekly limit in one night.

Chunky Monkey

14 units in one night??:eek:

eclectichoney

That's only about 7 pints though - 'tis easy enough to get through that if you're drinking all evening.

UrbanFox

Can anyone please define a UNIT of alcohol ?

Spirits are usually about 40% proof [Whiskey, Brandy et seq]. Beer is around 4% proof ?

What VOLUMES of these would constitute a UNIT do you think ?

Alanstrainor

http://www.drinkaware.ie/howmany.php

beeno67

UrbanFox wrote: »

Can anyone please define a UNIT of alcohol ?

Spirits are usually about 40% proof [Whiskey, Brandy et seq]. Beer is around 4% proof ?

What VOLUMES of these would constitute a UNIT do you think ?

Generally speaking a unit refers to half a pint of beer, one short or one glass of wine but this is very misleading. Obviously 15% wine has more alcohol than 10% wine and a UK short is a unit not an Irish measure which is bigger. A handy way to work out units is to consider a litre of the drink in question. So a litre of 40% proof Whiskey, brandy etc has 40 units. A litre of 4% beer has 4 units. A litre of 15% proof wine has 15 units so a 125ml glass of this has almost 2 units. (15 divided by 1000 multiplied by 125) or 15 divided by 8 for those who are poor at mental maths

djfitzerjnr

sur tis fair easy go over that in one night alone out on the town!!:D

Casperkicks

I drink Bacardi and was told I can only have 21 units of alcohol a week due to high blood pressure. How do I know what a unit is. (Im hoping its 21 shots!) Im kidding,,,,, anyones help is appreciated!

DrIndy

units are difficult to define - 1 pint is 2.5-3 units in ireland because the basis of one unit is 250ml of 4% alcohol beer.

1 unit of spirits is 25ml of 40% alcohol

Wine is harder to define as the strength varies much more.

Also remember the size of the glass you use:

AmcD

[QUOTE=DrIndy;59938551
1 unit of spirits is 25ml of 40% alcohol
[/IMG][/QUOTE]

In Ireland pub measures of spirits are 35ml. I think that brings a measure up to 1.5 units, but can somebody do the maths please?

mikemac

35.5ml or a quarter gill, it's the same thing

Casperkicks

sorry im still confused. a 5th of bacardi has 750 ml. so if 25 ml is 1 unit, does that mean this 5th has 30 units? if its 40 % proof?

Mucco

One unit is 10ml of pure alcohol.

So a 750ml bottle of Bacardi at 40% alcohol is:
750 x 40/100 = 300ml alcohol = 30 units

A pint (568ml) of Guinness at 4.2%?? abv:
568 x 4.2/100 = 2.4 units

Lager is often 5%:
568 x 0.05 = 2.8 units

drzhivago

hunnymonster wrote: »

It's one of those things that people have different points of view on. I thought 14 units was suggested for women, but I wouldn't be able to handle that much alcohol at all. I'm an absolute wreck the day after just 2-3 drinks.

That was a weekly not daily recommended unit amount

Casperkicks

ok got it! thank you everyone!

Squiggle

I thought it was the binge drinking culture was more the problem. The WHO defines binge drinking as the consumption of five units or more of alcohol on a single occasion. This equates to about 2.5 pints of beer, five measures of spirits or about three glasses of wine. I know very few people who aren't binge drinkers on that basis - myself included !

Capt'n Midnight

Irish units are different to UK units
Irish shorts are a different measure to UK shorts.

One standard drink equates to 10 grams of pure alcohol. Your liver can only remove roughly one standard drink per hour.

330ml x 5% = 16.5g alcohol
so three bottles = 5 units = binge :eek:

so 18 bottles = 30 units. and 21 units = 12.6 bottles a week

I can remember when "just two will do" ! two pints not two units.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article634565.ece

the government promoted safe drink driving by advising that “just two will do”. Back then Bertie Ahern, a senior TD in Fianna Fail, boasted in an interview of his ability to drive safely after downing a skinful. “I could certainly drink a fair few pints of Bass and be capable of driving,” he said. “Whether I would pass a breathalyser or not is another thing.” Despite this straight talking, Ahern wasn’t expelled from his party nor held personally accountable for road fatalities.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0705/alcohol.html

The WHO defines binge drinking as the consumption of five units or more of alcohol on a single occasion. This equates to 2.5 pints of beer, five measures of spirits or about three glasses of wine.

just putting link because the way our measures and units are different to others

CaptainSkidmark

how many units would 25 pints of cider be?

thats what i'd roughly have over 2 nights

CaptainSkidmark

60 units lol.

and 25 pints is not a lot compared to the people that be drinking the double vodkas all night!

seanybiker

just out of curiosity. I drink about 20-25 pints of fosters a week. I think that 4.2 and I would drink probably 30-35 cans of karpaky which is 5% a week. How many units is that?.

CaptainSkidmark

About 140?

25 pints is 60 units

amacachi

seanybiker wrote: »

just out of curiosity. I drink about 20-25 pints of fosters a week. I think that 4.2 and I would drink probably 30-35 cans of karpaky which is 5% a week. How many units is that?.

For most pints just double it and add a bit. A rough guess of 25 pints would be 60 units. Working it out it's 59.64 units.

500ml cans are a unit per every 2%, so each can at 5% is 2.5 units, 30 cans of that gives 75 units.

nice1franko

Is there any easy way to get the state/health of your liver checked?

*without having to go to your GP who will refer you to hospital

Fionnanc

An alcoholic is defined medically as somebody who drinks more than their doctor