Self assessment tool
Take our alcohol test to find out more about what type of drinker you are and the impact of your drinking.
You are a {{riskText}} drinker
You are an {{riskText}} drinker
You scored {{scoreText}}.
A pub measure of spirits is slightly more than 1 standard drink. Rounding up of standard drinks will apply if you entered more than 8 pub measures of spirits.
Ready to get started?
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Please provide us with the following details:
Select your gender:
By finding out your age and gender we can give you more personalised help and advice. Please be aware that this test is for those over 18 years of age. Please note all information is anonymous. The feedback given as part of the test is tailored to over 18s. Many substances such as alcohol and cannabis, can have different and more negative effects on under 18s than it does for adults. For that reason we don’t want to mislead or give false information by letting anyone under 18 proceed with the test.
How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
How many standard drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
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Standard Drinks
Standard Drink
{{Drink}}Please note all information is anonymous.
One standard drink contains 10g of pure alcohol. That is the equivalent of a half-pint of beer, a small glass of wine, or a pub measure of a spirit drink.
How often have you had 6 or more standard drinks on a single occasion in the last year?
How often during the last year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?
How often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of your drinking?
How often during the last year have you needed an alcoholic drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or regret after drinking?
How often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?
Have you or somebody else been injured as a result of your drinking?
Has a relative, friend, doctor or other healthcare worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested that you cut down?
YOUR RISK!
YOUR RISK!
YOUR RISK!
YOUR RISK!
Did you know?
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In a typical day you have:
You will need to run
standard drink
standard drinks
calories
burgers
You will need to run
kilometres @ 4km/h
to burn this off
The best way to reduce the risk of problems is to reduce how much and how often you drink or stop drinking entirely. There are real benefits of stopping drinking or cutting down. Different people benefit in different ways.
Benefits of stopping or cutting down
- Having no hangovers.
- Sleeping better.
- Having more energy.
- Losing weight.
- Being in better physical shape.
- Better memory.
- Less risk of injury and accidents.
- Less risk of high blood pressure.
- Less risk of cancer and many other health conditions.
- An improved mood.
- Less stress, clearer thinking and better judgement.
- Improved relationships.
- Less risk of drink driving.
- Saving money.
Are there areas of your life that you think might be improved by changing your drinking pattern?
Choosing a goal
If you’re thinking about changing your drinking habits, and many people have successfully changed their habits, you may be wondering whether you’ll cut down on how much you drink or stop drinking altogether.
Remember what you decide now might not be the decision you follow for the rest of your life. You can always decide to do something different later on. Whatever goal you choose it’s a good idea to talk it over with the person you are closest to or someone else you trust.
It is advisable to stop drinking if you
- have tried to cut down before and have not been successful
- get withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweats, nightmares, shakes and increasing paranoia following a pattern of heavy drinking
- have high blood pressure or liver disease
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
- are ill, run-down or taking medicines that react with alcohol
- are under 18 - it’s healthier for under 18s not to drink alcohol
- regularly lose control of your drinking or you find that once you start drinking you cannot stop
It is advisable to cut down if you have:
- an increased tolerance to alcohol
- had a previous positive experience of cutting down
- noticed some health or psychological problems that may be made worse by your drinking
- experienced any legal, financial or work-related problems as a result of your drinking
- noticed relationship or family problems that have been made worse as a result of your drinking
Write down on two lists the positives and the negatives for cutting down or stopping drinking. Choosing your goal and looking over what you have written. Which do you feel is the best goal for you?
Drinking more than the low-risk weekly guidelines increases your chance of alcohol-related problems.
Short-term problems
- Accidents or injuries.
- Vomiting.
- Having less energy.
- Often feeling low or depressed.
- Risk-taking.
- Having unsafe sex.
- Problems with sleeping.
- Memory loss due to blackouts.
Long-term problems
- Strained relationships due to arguments and fights.
- Impact on friendships, family, work and studies.
- Impotence (problems getting or keeping an erection).
- Weight gain.
- Financial problems.
- High blood pressure.
- Liver disease.
- Digestive problems.
- Heart disease.
- Several cancers.
How alcohol can affect your mood and mental health
- Irritable.
- Tense.
- Increasing isolation & loneliness.
- Depressed or anxious due to accumulating problems.
- Increasingly paranoid.
You may also have poor self-esteem and problems with concentration.
It makes a difference how much you drink on any day and how often you have a heavy drinking day. The more drinks in a day and the more heavy drinking days over time, the greater the chances for problems.
How do you feel about your score? It suggests that you are drinking at a level that is very risky for your health.
Many people find that cutting down on their alcohol use can improve their health. There are health benefits from reducing or stopping alcohol consumption. All acute risks can be completely reversed by stopping drinking. Even amongst chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis and depression, cutting down or stopping alcohol consumption is linked with rapid improvements in health.
As a high-risk drinker, you run the risk of various problems.
Mental and emotional problems you may already be experiencing include:
- increasing fear and paranoia
- regret and shame about your behaviour after drinking
- feeling low or depressed or anxious due to increased drinking and problems caused by drinking, for example, money, work, family and relationships
- arguing with loved ones and becoming distant from friends and colleagues
- stronger and more frequent mood swings
- thoughts of self-harm or suicide
- taking greater risks, like having unsafe or risky sex or driving after drinking
- memory loss
Physical problems include:
- putting on weight and feeling unfit or unwell
- having less energy
- accidents or injuries
- digestive problems like ulcers and diarrhoea
- problems with sleeping, night sweats, nightmares
- incontinence (wetting yourself)
- impotence (problems getting or keeping an erection)
- high blood pressure
- heart disease and stroke
- hepatitis, pancreatitis
- liver disease
- several cancers
- brain damage
- withdrawal symptoms
You are a low risk drinker
Stay within the weekly low-risk alcohol guidelines to stay at low-risk
Drinking less may be a good idea for you
There are plenty of practical ways you can start to cut down and stay on track
You are drinking at a harmful level. You are at a high-risk of developing alcohol-related problems
Visit our alcohol and health section to find out how alcohol affects your health and wellbeing
You are in the ‘very high risk’ or dependent drinking category
Get help from an addiction specialist, your GP or local alcohol and drug service. Use our alcohol service finder to find services and supports
Space out alcohol
Sipping a soft drink between alcoholic drinks slows down the rate of your drinking
Drink-free days
If you want to cut down the amount you're drinking, a great way is to have several drink-free days a week.
Eat up
A healthy meal before you go out, and snacks between drinks can help to slow down the absorption of alcohol
Dinner only drinking
Instead of opening your whole evening up to drinking, why not just allocate dinner as the time you enjoy a drink?
