Reducing the harm
The Drug Foundation’s message is clear: no drug use is the safest drug use. However, we know there will be occasions when people ignore warnings and use drugs in a dangerous manner. To help keep communities safe we therefore provide information about proven methods of drug harm reduction.
How much is too much?
It's hard to say because there are many factors that influence the effects of alcohol, such as body weight, body type, gender, personality and the environment in which someone drinks.
The following Guidelines from the Alcohol Advisory Council (suggest the following upper limits).
For men:
- an average of no more than four standard drinks a day, and no more than 21 standard drinks over a week
- no more than six standard drinks on any one occasion
- a few alcohol-free days every week.
For women:
- an average of no more than two standard drinks a day, and no more than 14 standard drinks over a week
- no more than four standard drinks on any one occasion
- a few alcohol-free days every week.
Standard drinks
A standard drink contains about 10 grams of alcohol. This is about the equivalent of a can of beer (330ml), a glass of wine (100ml) or a single shot of spirits (30ml). Please remember that many bars serve double shots unless requested otherwise.
