About Alcohol

Alcohol Units and Guidelines Explained

When it comes to understanding guidelines and putting them into context, a ‘standard drink’ can be useful. Here’s everything you need to know.

How can you measure the amount of alcohol you drink?

Alcohol units make it possible to use a homogeneous and valid reference for all types of drinks, and make it easy to understand the scientific and health aspects of alcohol consumption. This reference is essential for formulating alcohol consumption guidelines and advice. The VAD organization advises women and men not to consume more than 10 units per week on a regular basis in order to minimize the health risks associated with alcohol (3)".

The value of a standard unit varies by country, but it helps ensure that the amount of alcohol is the same in each drink

Infographic explaining how much alcohol is in an Australian Standard drink, as well as how many standard drinks are in beer, wine and spirits

Infographic explaining how much alcohol is present in one unit in Belgium, as well as the number of units in beer, wine and spirits.

Not all countries use the same unit value as Belgium ⁽¹⁾. However, the same measure applies in all cases, regardless of the drink consumed: beer, wine or spirits.

Some countries, such as the United States, also refer to “standard glass” rather than “unit”.

For example:

In the UK, a standard unit of alcohol contains 8 grams of ethanol
In Australia and France, one unit corresponds to 10 grams
A standard glass in Mexico contains 13 grams
A standard drink contains 14 grams in the United States, Argentina and Chile

The units can help you understand the guidelines for drinking alcohol

It is true that a unit does not always correspond to the actual serving size of a drink. For example, many cocktails contain several different spirits or are mixed with wine or champagne, and are therefore likely to contain more alcohol than a standard unit. Also, because wine comes in different strengths and glasses come in different sizes, the amount of alcohol you drink may not be a standard quantity. This is especially the case if you are at home and fill your glass before you finish it.

The unit of alcohol is still a useful concept. Since the concentration of drinks is different, the unit system ensures that the amount of ethanol in a portion is always the same. This is important for sharing information about alcohol consumption and its effects on your health.

References