What one drink means
A standard drink contains about 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. That is twelve ounces of beer at 5 percent, five ounces of wine at 12 percent, or a shot and a half of 80-proof liquor. Real servings run larger. A pint of 8 percent beer is about two drinks and a restaurant wine pour is often six to eight ounces.
The CDC has long defined moderate drinking as two drinks or fewer in a day for men and one or fewer for women. Binge drinking means five or more drinks for men, or four or more for women, within about two hours. Less is better at every level, and no amount is advised during pregnancy.
How it leaves your body
Alcohol reaches the blood within minutes and peaks thirty to ninety minutes after a drink, which is why the last round hits after you have left. The legal driving limit is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent in every state except Utah, where it is 0.05, and impairment starts well below both. Drivers under 21 face limits near zero. The only reliable plan is to settle the ride home before the first drink.
Alcohol poisoning
Call 911 if someone who has been drinking shows any of these signs.
- The person cannot be woken, or is confused and cannot stay awake.
- The person is vomiting while drowsy or unconscious.
- The person breathes fewer than eight times a minute, or pauses ten seconds or more between breaths.
- The person has a seizure, or has cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin.
While you wait, stay with the person, keep them sitting up if awake, and roll them onto their side if they are not. Do not give coffee, do not put them in a cold shower, and do not leave them to sleep it off, because blood alcohol keeps rising after the last drink. Many states have medical amnesty laws that protect an underage caller.
When it has become a problem
The warning signs are practical ones: drinking more than you intended, failing to cut back, needing more for the same effect, and drinking despite trouble at work or at home. The free, confidential SAMHSA National Helpline answers around the clock at 1-800-662-4357. Anyone who drinks heavily every day should get medical advice before stopping abruptly, because withdrawal can cause seizures.
Tip Alternate every drink with a full glass of water and decide your number before you go out. A limit chosen sober is the only kind that holds.
