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Overview
How To Drink Sensibly
Moderate amounts of alcohol pose no threat to most people's health and
have been known to be beneficial in the prevention of high blood pressure.
Individuals however, should stick within recommendations. The medical
colleges used to recommend weekly amounts for men, as 21 units per week
and for women 14 units, when taken on a regular basis. One unit of alcohol
is equal to 1/2 pint of beer or lager, or one glass of wine, or one
glass of sherry, or a single vodka, whisky or gin. However, in 1995
the government changed these bench-marks to 3-4 units per day for men
and 2-3 units a day for women. This new daily limit was set to discourage
binge drinking. Drinking in excess of these limits consistently carries
a progressive health risk.
Alcohol Consumption
Actual alcohol consumption in Britain averages around 31g per day for
men and 10.6g for women. These figures only apply to those who do drink
alcohol, that is, the average does not include non-drinkers. A small
glass of wine contains around 11-12g alcohol, so it's clear that many
adults are consuming far above recommended levels. Seek professional
advice if you are concerned about alcohol consumption.
Statistics provided by the government indicate that between 1986 and
1996, the number of men drinking above 21 units per week has stayed
the same at around 27%. However, the number of women drinking above
14 units per week over the same amount of time has increased by 10%.
39% of all men and nearly 21% of all women in Great Britain drank more
than 4 units per day and 3 units per day, respectively in the previous
week.
Other interesting statistics show that alcohol is a factor in 17% of
all deaths in road accidents, 40% of all deaths from falls, 40% of all
deaths in fires, 15% of all drownings and 65% of all suicide attempts.
Pregnant women who drink heavily are more likely to have premature babies
and hyperactive children and run the risk of developing
foetal alcohol syndrome.
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