Alcohol units
UK Chief Medical Officers' guideline: men and women should drink no more than 14 units per week, spread over 3+ days, with several alcohol-free days. This calculator works out the units in any drink and shows where your week sits.
What is a "unit"?
1 UK unit = 10 ml of pure alcohol. The formula:
- Units = (volume in ml × ABV%) ÷ 1000
- A small (125 ml) glass of 12% wine = (125 × 12) ÷ 1000 = 1.5 units
- A pint (568 ml) of 4% lager = (568 × 4) ÷ 1000 = 2.3 units
- A single 25 ml spirit at 40% = 1 unit
What the UK 14-unit guideline really says
- 14 units/week is the threshold above which the long-term health risk increases significantly — particularly liver disease, several cancers (mouth, throat, breast, bowel), heart disease, dependence.
- 14 units is not "safe" — there's no safe level. It's the level at which risks remain low.
- Spread it: 6 pints on Saturday is much riskier than 1 pint a day, even if both total 14 units.
- Include alcohol-free days each week to give your liver time to recover.
- Pregnancy: no alcohol at all is the only safe amount.
- If you're on certain medicines — including some antidepressants, painkillers, antibiotics, blood thinners — alcohol interactions can be serious. Ask us.
Want to cut down? Free help available
- Forward Leeds — local NHS alcohol & drug service. Free, confidential, drop-in, walk-out. forwardleeds.co.uk or 0113 887 2477.
- Drinkline — national confidential helpline for alcohol concerns. 0300 123 1110.
- NHS app "Drink Free Days" — track alcohol-free days, build streaks. Free.
- Talk to us — Hyde Park Pharmacy. We can chat in the consultation room and signpost you to the right local support. No judgement.