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Original poster

Anyone think 14 units a week is really low?

181 replies

Bunnylady54 · 27/01/2020 16:35

The average bottle of wine is I believe about 9 units so 14 units is less than 2 bottles a week. I drink more than that! Does anyone think it’s pretty hard to stick to 14 units?

OP posts:
CottonSock · 27/01/2020 17:25

Like another poster, I thought it was low until I acknowledged my drink problem.

JingsMahBucket · 27/01/2020 17:25

@chomalungma the 250 mL pours in the UK are massive. In other places like France, Italy, Belgium, etc the pours are usually either 120/125 or 180/185 for a bit more money. Even in the States they’re 150 or 180. Once you are accustomed to smaller pours, the UK standard of one third of a bottle of wine seems absurd to you.

ClientListQueen · 27/01/2020 17:25

Depends. Most of the time I drink less than 14 units a year, every so often I drink 14 units in an hour Grin

GetOffTheTableMabel · 27/01/2020 17:26

I definitely used to find it hard to stick to. We have quite large wine glasses and although we don’t fill them up much, I think I used to easily consume 1.5 or 2 units most nights with dinner, and then a couple of extra G&Ts at the weekend - and those were just the weeks we didn’t go out! I was genuinely never drunk but I was probably comfortably over the 14 units most weeks.
After DH was diagnosed with very high blood pressure and decided to fix it with lifestyle changes, we generally only drink on Fridays and Saturdays and I don’t even do that every week now due to my menopausal migraines. I probably have about 14 units a month now. I won’t go back.

Deemail · 27/01/2020 17:29

I think it's low but I also wonder what estimations it's based on and what's the science/info behind it.

It seems daft that you can have two females, or males for that matter, given the same units but there could be many inches and stones difference between them while both are a healthy weight.

MyDcAreMarvel · 27/01/2020 17:30

I could never drink 14 units in a week, occasionally have a glass rarely two on a Friday or Saturday night not both.

Silversun83 · 27/01/2020 17:31

Like PP, it used to seem very low to me and I would carefully try and calculate how much I'd had to prove to myself that I didn't have problems with alcohol (but I used to go by the previous 14-21 guidelines and obviously if I was under 21 it was okay).

I definitely used to have problems with alcohol.

Would not even drink that in a month now (or even a year). I don't call myself teetotal but I just can't be bothered with alcohol now. Both my parents were/are alcoholics and I have a very addictive personality so I also don't want to put myself in that position again (but although rare, as in Christmas day only rare, I can now have just one glass).

Sarahlou63 · 27/01/2020 17:31

If it was daily I'd struggle but I manage to beat the target each and every week Wine

KickAssAngel · 27/01/2020 17:34

The thing is, that number of units is meant to be guaranteed "safe" from causing any possible long-term effects if drunk regularly.

There's a huge range of how much someone can drink before they would then fall into being dependent/alcoholic. Of course, it's also affected by a person's health, situation etc.

HAving said that, I can't imagine drinking 14 G&Ts every week. I would also worry about the cost of 2 bottles of wine per week each for me/DH. I'd rather drink less of a good quality wine.

lynsey91 · 27/01/2020 17:36

I don't think that is low at all but, obviously, we are all different.

I probably drink 2 units a week on average but some weeks don't drink alcohol at all.

DH drinks about 4 units a week

managedmis · 27/01/2020 17:39

Not much, no

ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 27/01/2020 17:39

No I don’t think it’s low.

Lucky if I hit 14 units a year Grin

Pollaidh · 27/01/2020 17:40

But Europeans serve much smaller glass sizes (100 or 125ml, much smaller than the servings in the UK). DH is European and is horrified by the size of glasses in some of our friend's homes and in some restaurants.

I would find it difficult to get anywhere near 14 units a week, and that's with a job that assumes a certain amount of alcohol consumption (lots of receptions).

Waxonwaxoff0 · 27/01/2020 17:43

No, it's not low.

I don't drink in the week, but I don't drink wine anyway as I'm not keen on it. I have a vodka and soda on a Friday and Saturday night.

I do drink more if I'm out with friends but as a single mum that's a rare occasion.

The guidelines are there for a reason. Even if you're not getting drunk it's not good for your health to exceed the weekly units.

Northernsoullover · 27/01/2020 17:44

I think its low. I could never keep to 14 units without feeling cheated so I gave up completely. I know MN has wildly differing opinions on alcohol consumption so a good place to get some impartial information is from a book called 'Drink' by professor David Nutt.

SallyWD · 27/01/2020 17:44

No. Its not low. I have a glass a week at most. Europeans might have a small glass with dinner and I'm sure it adds up to less than 14 units. It's only in UK where people think it's normal to drink a whole bottle.

DebbieFiderer · 27/01/2020 17:45

I don't think it's low either, I hardly drink at all at the moment as I am trying to lose weight, and it just feels like a waste of calories (and money!). I also have a job where I regularly have to ask people how much they drink, and even allowing for the fact that most people will under-report, I'd say the majority of the people I ask will be well under that limit.

BackforGood · 27/01/2020 17:46

Sounds a lot to me, as it is talking about drinking regularly, each and every week, not "at Christmas" or "on holiday" or "that weekend we went to the wedding".

MN is pretty divided though - lots and lots of people who wouldn't regularly drink anything like that amount, and can quite happily go 2 or 3 weeks without having occasion to drink anything alcoholic, and then those who like to mock them, for some reason.

Drizzzle · 27/01/2020 17:49

The Brits AR# European..
Not all Europeans have same drinking habits or glass sizes.
Yes 14 units a week is plenty.

oohnicevase · 27/01/2020 17:50

It's not low , you are kidding yourself .. you don't need to drink two bottles of wine every single week !! 🙄

Heymacarana · 27/01/2020 17:53

. It's only in UK where people think it's normal to drink a whole bottle.

You must travel to very different parts of the world than I do.

In Denmark a couple of weeks ago and everyone I was with (business trip) easily topped 14 units each DAY I was there

Fishcakey · 27/01/2020 17:58

Really hard. 14 units is nothing.

TeacupDrama · 27/01/2020 17:58

no its not very low but neither is it very high, the UK consume similar amounts of alcohol per year as France Belgium and Germany
the UK drinks less than Russia and countires that were part of USSR
we drink very marginally less than Australia Poland Germany and Portugal
we drink slightly more than Spain, Greece, new Zealand and Austria
we drink considerably more than Italians, USA Norway and Japan

drspouse · 27/01/2020 18:01

We like nice wine and are members of the Wine Society (blame my dad), but one bottle can do the two of us 3 nights as we use very small glasses.
Two glasses and I'm fit for nothing. Two cocktails over a long evening out with other mums is my limit. That's probably 4 units?

But we do drink regularly. Not one sherry at Christmas. I track the days I drink (mainly for calorie counting reasons) and the longest non drinking streak was 10 days and the longest streak of days together drinking is about 5.

JingsMahBucket · 27/01/2020 18:02

@Heymacarana the Danes are well known for their abuse of alcohol. It’s a serious problem there.