Add your drinks to instantly calculate your units, compare them to UK guidelines, and see your risk level. One unit of alcohol is 10ml of pure alcohol — the UK guideline is a maximum of 14 units per week, spread over at least 3 days.
One unit of alcohol is 10ml (8g) of pure alcohol. This is roughly equivalent to: a single 25ml measure of spirits (40% ABV), half a pint of average-strength beer (3.6% ABV), or half a standard glass of wine (11.5% ABV). Most drinks contain more than one unit.
The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend drinking no more than 14 units per week for both men and women. This should be spread over at least 3 days — not saved up for a single session. There is no completely "safe" level of alcohol consumption — these guidelines indicate lower-risk levels, not zero risk.
To calculate alcohol units: Multiply the volume (in ml) by the ABV percentage, then divide by 1000. For example: a 250ml glass of 13% wine = (250 × 13) ÷ 1000 = 3.25 units. Our calculator does this automatically for common drinks.
Your liver processes alcohol at approximately 1 unit per hour. This rate does not increase significantly with coffee, food, or water. If you drink 10 units, it will take approximately 10 hours for the alcohol to clear from your blood. This is why morning-after drink-driving is a real risk.
The NHS defines binge drinking as drinking more than 6 units in a single session for women, or more than 8 units for men. This is roughly equivalent to 2 large glasses of wine (6 units) or 3–4 pints of beer (8 units). Binge drinking carries significantly higher short-term risks than spreading the same amount of alcohol over a week.
If you regularly drink more than 14 units per week, drink to cope with stress or emotions, find it difficult to control how much you drink, or feel you need alcohol to function normally — these are signs that your drinking may be becoming a problem. Speak to your GP or call Frank (0300 123 6600, free, 24/7) for confidential advice.