New research into the UK’s drinking attitudes and behaviours shows the majority of 25-65 year olds aren’t clear about how much they can drink without harming their health.

The research, conducted for alcohol education charity Drinkaware, suggests that just over two thirds of those surveyed don’t recognise how many units they can drink if they want to stay inside the lower risk guidelines.  More worrying still, most can’t say how many units there are in a glass of wine or a pint of beer.

Drinkaware is calling for three simple measures which will make it easier for everyone to understand how to drink in a low risk way:

• All glasses in pubs and restaurants should have a unit line marked on them*
• Pubs and restaurants should promote the 125ml wine glass
• Alcohol retailers should be required to give unit information for all bottles and cans

The Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, is currently reviewing the guidelines on alcohol consumption. Drinkaware is urging her to make them clearer and simpler so consumers will find it easier to use them.

Drinkaware says that units have got harder to understand over the years. When they were first introduced the guidelines advised that a standard glass of wine was the equivalent of a unit of alcohol. Now a standard glass is worth 2.3 units. That’s partly because there’s been significant measure creep. Back then a standard pub measure for wine was 125 ml, now a standard glass is 175 ml. At the same time there’s been alcohol inflation. In 1987 it was presumed that the average ABV of a glass of wine was between 8 and 10%, now it’s 13%.

Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive at alcohol education charity Drinkaware says:

“It’s clear that the unit guidelines aren’t working.  It’s not just that most people don’t know them, it’s that they don’t know how to apply the guidelines to the drink in front of them. It’s not surprising when you think how complicated they are. At the moment a ‘standard’ glass of 13% wine contains 2.3 units. Women are told they can drink 2-3 units within the guidelines and men are allowed 3-4. So it’s no wonder that people get confused about how much they can drink before exceeding them.

“Supersizing alcohol portions isn’t good for any of us. One simple change which could make a real difference would be to take the 125ml wine glass out of hiding. Pubs and restaurants are obliged to offer a 125ml serving but most advertise the 175 ml serving as a standard size and 250 ml as a large. You often have to go to the small print at the bottom of the menu to find out that a 125ml serving is even available and usually it’s not even priced. It’s just as bad at home. Our wine glasses have grown. 125ml is basically the size of a small yoghurt pot – if we could use a 125ml glass again for a standard serving of wine it would be a lot easier for people to stay within the guidelines.”

Drinkaware’s website helps people understand how much they are drinking and its impact on their health, providing tools like its unit and calorie calculator to help them cut down. For further information visit www.drinkaware.co.uk

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