To calculate the number of standard
drinks in an alcoholic beverage:
Help
If you feel that your drinking is getting out of hand, seek
professional advice and get help from a support group.
衞生署
Department of Health
Alcoholics anonymous
Phone: 2578 9822
Tuen Mun Alcohol Problems Clinic
The label on a bottle or a can of alcoholic beverage usually
states the drink volume and alcohol content. If you are uncertain
about how to calculate the number of “standard drinks”, you
may refer to the examples below.
Table: Number of standard drinks in your drink
Western Drink
No. of standard drinks
1 pub measure of approx. 30ml of spirits
(whisky, gin, vodka)
1
1 glass of approx. 60ml of fortified wine
(sherry, martini, port)
1
1 average sized glass of approx. 120ml
of table wine
1.5
1 can of approx. 350ml of beer
1.5
1 pint of approx. 500ml of beer
2
Chinese Drink
No. of standard drinks
1 glass of approx. 250ml of shuang zheng jiu
6
1 glass of approx. 250ml of san zheng jiu
8
1 glass of approx. 250ml of gao liang jiu
12
These units are approximations only and may vary depending
on the brand chosen and the concentration of alcohol in the
beverage.
Phone: 2456 8260
“STAY SOBER, STAY FREE” Alcohol
Addiction Treatment Project
Phone: 2884 9876
Website: http://atp.nzdemo.com/
You can get more information on men’s health or obtain
pamphlets and brochures at the following:
Men’s Health Programme, Department of
Health (DH)
Website: http://www.hkmenshealth.com
Email: [email protected]
Central Health Education Unit, DH
Ordering of health education materials: 2572 1476
Address: 7/F, Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road,
Wanchai, H.K.
13/F, Tsuen Wan Government Office,
38 Sai Lau Kok Road, Tsuen Wan, N.T.
Website: http://www.cheu.gov.hk/
24-hour Health Education Hotline, DH:
2833 0111
The Effects of
Alcohol
on a Person
How Does Alcohol Affect a Person?
Alcohol can put your health, your safety and the lives of
others at risk.
Immediate Health Risks
Alcohol slows reaction time and impairs judgement and
coordination. Immediate effects include road traffic
accidents, injuries, violence, risky sexual behaviour and
crime. Acute alcohol poisoning causes coma and death.
Long-term Health Risks
Alcohol causes obesity and a wide range of illnesses
including impotence, high blood pressure, liver diseases,
heart diseases, stroke, brain damage, different kinds of
cancers, etc. Alcohol also leads to psychiatric illnesses.
Think twice before you drink. Long-term excessive use of
alcohol leads to alcohol dependence. This problem not only
adversely affects your physical and mental health, but also
influences your work performance and ruins your social life.
To drink less or not to drink at all is your best resolution.
Sensible drinking
To avoid drinking too much and harming your health, you must pay attention to the
following:
Choice of alcohol
Know your drink and its alcohol level. Many regular beers are
about 5% alcohol by volume (ABV), red/white wine 10-15%
ABV, and whisky 30-40% ABV.
Choose lower strength drinks, or mix wine with ice or water.
Fizzy drinks like champagne are absorbed more quickly than
non-fizzy alcoholic beverage.
Drinking habit
Keep a drinking diary and record how much you drink
tempt you the most and how you can avoid them.
Local Situation of Alcohol Misuse
The Standard Measure of Alcohol
A "standard drink" (refer to table) contains
10g of pure alcohol. Men should drink
no more than 2 standard drinks a day
and women should drink no more than 1
standard drink a day.
"Low risk" is not "no risk". Even within
these limits, drinkers can still have problems
if they drink too quickly, have health
problems or are older. If you drink, drink
sensibly.
Do not drink on an empty stomach. Take alcohol
with meals to slow down absorption.
Always make your first drink a non-alcoholic one.
Sip your drink slowly and do not gulp.
(in units) each day, and get to know what situations
A survey indicated that around 9% of people interviewed
had history of binge drinking. There are about 2 000
hospital admissions in public and private hospitals that
are alcohol-related. Mental and behavioural disorders due
to use of alcohol and alcoholic liver diseases account for
the majority of these admissions. A few dozens of alcoholrelated registered deaths are reported in Hong Kong each
year and a large proportion of them are males.
Drinking behaviour
Space your drinks with a non-alcoholic drink in
between.
Don’t get into rounds.
Set yourself a maximum limit, say two alcoholic
beverages.
When should I not drink at all?
Situations when you should not drink at all:
Before or when driving.
Before or when operating machinery or take part in activities requiring attention and
coordination.
Before or when handling chemicals, sharps or dangerous goods.
Before or when using ladders or working at height.
Before or when swimming or taking part in active sports.
Before or when taking medicines.