Get to know your units

Alcohol comes in many forms, flavours, strengths and colours!

It is important to make yourself familiar with the strength of alcoholic drinks; here are some you may be familiar with:

• Wine 10%-20% strength
• Beer/lager/cider 5% strength
• Alcopops 4-7% strength
• Cocktails range between 10 – 35% strength!
• Spirits (straight vodka, gin, rum, whiskey etc. ) 40 - 50% strength

Alcohol is measured in units. It is recommended that men should have no more than 3-4 units of alcohol (equivalent 1-2 pints) per day and women 2-3 units (equivalent 2-3 vodka cokes or small glass wine).

Find out how your booze intake compares with the national recommended unit intake - do you need to rethink your drink? Unit Calculator (http://www.essexrethinkyourdrink.org/)

Calories

Many alcoholic drinks are very high in calories and it might shock you to know how many extra calories you have ‘drunk’. A can of strong lager has the same number of calories as a Mars Bar!

Try out this booze calculator to find out the calorie equivalent of your drinks and how much money you spent... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12254668)

You will see that it is no surprise really that people who drink regularly might find themselves putting on extra weight or developing a beer belly!

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