🍷 Low-risk drinking guidelines

Low-risk drinking guidelines are advice from doctors and health authorities on how much alcohol one can drink to reduce the risk to health. They go by different names: "low-risk guidelines" or "safe limits". But the word "safe" is only a convention here: any amount of alcohol carries some risk.

Guidelines differ between countries. They set a limit per week and per day, advise alcohol-free days, and say not to drink if you are driving, pregnant or taking certain medicines. The less, the better for health.

The basis of the guidelines is the standard drink. This is the amount of pure alcohol in one drink, for example a small glass of wine. It differs by country: in the UK one unit is 8 grams of alcohol, while in the USA a standard drink is 14 grams. So it matters to check the rules of your own country.

The guidelines belong to the topic of alcohol and health. They do not replace a doctor's advice, especially if you have a medical condition.