1 unit alcohol = 10ml = 8g pure alcohol (in the UK).
The following table gives you a rough idea:
However, the amount of alcohol units in a drink depends on the strength of the drink and its measure. Always check the label. For example:
A glass of wine (175ml, 13.5% alcohol) holds about 2.3 units.
A large glass of wine (250ml) has over 3 units.
A bottle of wine (750ml, 13.5% alcohol) contains about 10 units.
A pint of beer (568ml, 4.5% alcohol) has around 2.3 units.
A pint of Guinness has about 2.3 units.
A shot of spirit (25ml, 40% alcohol) equals 1 unit.
Spirit measures in pubs are usually 25ml or 35ml.
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Weekly Alcohol Guidelines
The NHS recommends drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. That's around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer.
There's no completely safe level of drinking, but sticking within these guidelines lowers your risk of harming your health.
Drinking and Driving
In the UK, the drink-drive limit is different for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland compared to Scotland.
For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland:
35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath
80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood
107 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
In Scotland:
22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath
50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood
67 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
How many units will put you above the drink-drive limit?
This is not a straightforward question to answer. The effect of alcohol varies greatly between individuals. Factors include weight, age, gender, metabolism, current stress levels, whether you've eaten, and the type of alcohol consumed.
However, as a rough guide:
1 unit of alcohol is roughly equivalent to 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol.
It takes an average adult around an hour to process a drink, but this can vary.
To stay under the drink-drive limit, some sources suggest limiting intake to below 2-3 units before driving. Yet, the safest advice is not to drink any alcohol if you plan to drive.
