If you are like many Americans, you may drink alcohol occasionally. Or, like others, you may drink moderate amounts of alcohol on a more regular basis. If you are a woman or someone over the age of 65, this means that you have no more than one drink per day; if you are a man, this means that you have no more than two drinks per day. Drinking at these levels usually is not associated with health risks and can help to prevent certain forms of heart disease.
But did you know that even moderate drinking, under certain circumstances, is not risk free? And that if you drink at more than moderate levels, you may be putting yourself at risk for serious problems with your health and problems with family, friends, and coworkers? This feature explains some of the consequences of drinking that you may not have considered.
WHAT IS A DRINKA standard drink is:
- One 12-ounce bottle of beer*
or wine cooler - One 5-ounce glass of wine
- 1.5 ounces of 80-proof
distilled spirits.
*Beer ranges considerably in its alcohol content,
with malt liquor being higher in its alcohol content
than most other brewed beverages.
