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How much is too much

How much is too much

What the alcohol guidelines say

The less alcohol you drink, the lower your risk of harm.  The Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend you have:   

  • no more than ten standard drinks a week 
  • no more than four standard drinks a day. 

Reviewing your alcohol intake

If you drink alcohol, it can be helpful to review your intake to understand whether you could benefit from cutting back or giving up. 

Cutting back or giving up on alcohol is especially important if drinking is impacting your daily activities, relationships, health, or wellbeing, or is putting you or others at risk. 

Some signs you could benefit from reducing your drinking or giving up alcohol include: 

  • You feel like your drinking is impacting your physical or mental health or wellbeing 
  • You are looking to be healthier and want to reduce your risk of the health effects of alcohol 
  • You sometimes find it hard to stop drinking once you have started 
  • Your loved ones, friends or a health professional have been concerned about how much alcohol you drink 
  • Your drinking has interfered with daily activities or responsibilities, such as your job or your relationships 
  • Your alcohol use is impacting others around you. 

Tools that can help

There are several Australian tools that can help you assess your alcohol intake and the risk it might be placing on your health and wellbeing. Two tools we suggest: 

See your doctor

A doctor is a great source of advice and support for cutting down on or giving up alcohol.  

By checking in with your doctor you can seek advice, discuss any concerns, and understand the positive impact reducing alcohol has on your health.  

To find a local GP go to healthdirect.gov.au or call 1800 022 222. 

Benefits of cutting back

There are a range of benefits that come from cutting back on alcohol. People who stopped drinking alcohol for one month reported the following benefits in a recent study: 

  • Better quality of sleep (71%) 
  • Better overall health (70%) 
  • More energy (67%) 
  • Weight loss (58%) 
  • Improved concentration (57%) 
  • Better skin health (54%). 

Drinking alcohol less often, and remaining within the Australian Alcohol Guidelines, also reduces your risk of serious disease and injury. 

Need advice or support?

To find a local GP, you can call 1800 022 222 or visit healthdirect.gov.au. To find a local psychologist, visit psychology.org.au/find-a-psychologist. If you need other support to reduce your drinking, you can contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.

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