New Guidelines | Standard Drinks | Drinking and Driving
Alcohol Guidelines
New safe drinking guidelines limit alcohol intake to two drinks a day for men and women. Under the 2001 guidelines, men were told they could drink up to four standard drinks per day. This is now deemed to be misleading as the old guidelines gave the impression that men were safe to drink up to the recommended amount and only anything over four drinks per day would cause major health problems.
The new guidelines of two drinks per day take into account long-term risks such as liver and brain damage and cancer of the mouth, throat, bowel and prostate.
For more information on the new guidelines, click here.
Alcohol can have a devastating impact on people drinking and those around them.
The prolonged effects of consuming excess amounts of alcohol on recurring occasions are distinctively rapid and unforgiving. The most noticeable and immediate effects of alcohol and in particular binge drinking include hangovers and dehydration. Over time, excess alcohol intake can cause liver damage and nutrient deficiencies and can also lead to types of cancer, gout, sexual dysfunction, depression, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.
Having a healthy drinking habit is important. Below are the national guidelines for standard drinks for men and women. It is against the law for people under 18 to purchase or consume alcohol.
According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau standard drink pocket guides, a standard drink is defined as any drink containing 10 grams of alcohol. The following is a guide to alcohol only and some people can manage less then what is stated.
1 middy/pot 285ml of full strength beer
2 middles/pots 285ml of light strength beer
1 small glass 100ml of wine/champagne
1 nip 30ml of spirits
1 small glass of fortifies wine
To keep your blood alcohol under 0.5
2 Standard Drinks in the first hour
1 every hour after that
1 Standard Drink in the first hour
1 every hour after that
Remember that some bars don’t serve standard sized drinks. Be wary of this as you don’t want to over-drink. Also note that cocktails can contain 5 or 6 standard drinks depending on the recipe of the mixture.
In Queensland, learner drivers and P1 (red) and P2 (green) drivers have to have a blood alcohol level of 0.00, meaning they have 0.00 grams of alcohol per 100ml of blood in their bloodstream.
Open licence holders can legally drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 or under, meaning 0.05 grams of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
For more information on alcohol related health issues, please visit http://www.alcohol.gov.au.
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