There is no level of alcohol use that is safe for health. Our low-risk weekly guidelines aim to reduce the risk of alcohol-related harm.
All alcohol use can cause harm to your health. Reduce your risk by drinking less.
These guidelines are for adults. Children and young people under age 18 should not drink alcohol.
Do not give alcohol to someone under age 18 - even small sips, or drinks labelled alcohol-free or low-alcohol.
Do not drink alcohol if you are trying for a baby or you are pregnant.
The evidence for these guidelines is under review. When the review is completed in 2026, we will update this page.
Weekly low-risk alcohol guidelines
The low-risk alcohol guidelines are that you do not drink more than:
- 11 standard drinks per week, if you are a woman
- 17 standard drinks per week, if you are a man
Spread your drinks out across the week.
Have at least 2 to 3 alcohol-free days per week. Do not drink more than 6 standard drinks on any 1 occasion.
The less you drink the lower your risk of developing alcohol-related health issues.
What's in a standard drink
In Ireland, a standard drink has 10g of pure alcohol.
Labels show alcohol content (strength of the drink) as alcohol per volume (ABV).
Examples of standard drinks
What's in a standard drink depends on the size and strength of the drink.
But we use a rough guide.
1 standard drink:
- half a pint of beer, stout or cider (4.5% ABV)
- a single measure of spirits (35.5ml, 40% ABV)
- a small glass of wine (100mls, 12.5% ABV)
- an alcopop (275ml, 4% ABV)
2 standard drinks:
- a pint of beer, stout or cider (4.5% ABV)
- a double measure of spirits (71ml, 40% ABV)
- a large can of beer (500ml, 4.3% ABV)
There are just over 7 standard drinks in a bottle of wine (12.5% ABV).
Units of alcohol
We do not measure alcohol in units. But in the UK, a standard drink or unit of alcohol contains 8 grams of pure alcohol.
Spread out your drinks
It is not safe to drink your weekly limit in 1 session, or over a couple of nights. This is called binge drinking.
Binge drinking causes the most harm to your health. You’re also more likely to lose control, have accidents and take risks.
If you are worried about your alcohol use, take our alcohol test.
Non-urgent advice: Get help with problem alcohol use
For confidential advice, freephone 1800 459 459.
All measures are not the same
Home measures tend to be more generous than pub measures and some drinks are stronger than others. For example, alcohol content in wine is usually between 11% and 13% - or it can be higher or lower.
If you want to be sure about how much you’re drinking, check the:
- size of your glass or bottle
- amount you pour at home
- strength of the alcohol - this information is on the label
When you should avoid alcohol completely
There are times when you should avoid alcohol completely.
Do not drink:
- if you’re pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant
- if you take certain medicines or have a condition made worse by alcohol - check with your GP before drinking
- before operating machinery
- before or while driving
- before doing anything risky or that requires skill
- before going into open water
- before or while you're looking after children