Alcohol units

[katchika]

Does anyone know a website that tells you the number of units in various drinks (not just wine and beer, but cocktails and alcopops as well), and the effects drinking different amounts of units has on a person?

How many units would cause alcohol poisoning? I know it would be different depending on body size and other factors, but in general?

[budda]

Each shot of a high strength spirit is give or take 1 unit of alcohol, though some pubs offer larger shots.

Also if they are making you a cocktail more often than not it is rough measures, if you worked on about 1 to 1.5 units per thing in the drink that would be about right.

However things like Shcnapps are only about 20-30% vol which obviously makes them only between .5 to .75 units per shot.

As for what will cause alcohol poisoning, it really depends on the persons tolerance, certainly anything above your weekly limit in one session is going to be bad for you. Thats 14 units for a lady and 21 for a bloke.

This might help too http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3303805.stm

[budda]

As for overdosing I found this;

"A large dose of alcohol will cause overdose leading to loss of consciousness and possibly even death. For a non-tolerant person (someone not drinking regularly) about 30 units (a bottle of spirits) would end in a trip to hospital and could be fatal."

From here;

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/health/libra/alcohol.html!

I cant for the life of me find anything listing each drink with its unit content though I'm afraid, sorry.

[katchika]

Ok thank you. Some bottles have the units on the side now, but not all.

[LadyJade]

Pussycatty, have you had a look at theSite's page on Safe drinking (http://www.thesite.org.uk/drinkanddrugs/drinking/responsibledrinking/safedrinking)? There is a little bit of information on there.

Also, Alcohol Concern have a website that says you can calculate if you are drinking too much, called how's your drink (http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/servlets/doc/895).

There is also some information on the Drugscope (http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=\wip\11\1\1\alcohol.html) website about how many units there are in different drinks. They mention you can buy a book called the Big List that details the alcohol by volume (ABV, or %) and unit content of over 3500 brands.

Oh, and Drinkaware (http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/howmany.php) have a unit calculator.

[melanie]

you find in general that coctails from a coctail bar will stick within the same limit of alcoghol in each coctail.

they will usually name them somthing like

baby coctail, - 1 measure (25ml of spirit)
coctail (50ml oif spirit)
and premium coctail (75ml of spirit)

different spirits have different amounts in them.
Spirits with less than 16%proof alcohol (martini, amaretto, chambord.....) content are usually served in 50 ml measures so be aware that you will be getting double the amount of alcohol that you expect.

[otter]

How many units would cause alcohol poisoning?

depends on the person, but think of it as 1 unit of alcohol takes your body 1 hour to process fully. not given that hour, your body absorbs the alcohol, which is compounded by the more you drink. until your gag reflex kicks in (you being sick) by which time your body is doing what it can to get rid of the alcohol it cannot cope with. but, if for whatever reason your gag reflex malfunctions, your body will be absorbing the excess alcohol rather than vomiting it back up; and soon will cause you to become unconscious, and your breathing will deteriorate to less than 12 breaths per minute. - at that point you've got alcohol poisioning.

[Monserrat]

Multiply the measure by the percentage. You need to express the measure in litres, not ml.

For vodka/whiskey: 0.025L x 40% = 1 unit

For Bacardi Breezers: 0.275L x 5.4% = 1.485 units

For Stella beer: 0.568L x 5.2% = 3.0472 units! That's just for a pint of Stella!

[piccolo]

Some of Lady Jade's links are a bit scary. I don't drink often but on the occasions I have been a bit plastered (just a bit ;)) I have had over the recommended weekly limit and I didn't even know.