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Summary
If you are like many Americans, you drink alcohol at least occasionally. For many people, moderate drinking is probably safe. But drinking less is better for your health than drinking more. And there are some people who should not drink at all.
Because drinking too much can be harmful, it's important to know how alcohol affects you and how much is too much.
How does alcohol affect the body?
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. This means that it is a drug that slows down brain activity. It can change your mood, behavior, and self-control. It can cause problems with memory and thinking clearly. Alcohol can also affect your coordination and physical control.
Alcohol also has effects on the other organs in your body. For example, it can raise your blood pressure and heart rate. If you drink too much at once, it could make you throw up.
Why are the effects of alcohol different from person to person?
Alcohol's effects vary from person to person, depending on a variety of factors, including:
- How much you drank
- How quickly you drank it
- The amount of food you ate before drinking
- Your age
- Your sex
- Your race or ethnicity
- Your physical condition
- Whether or not you have a family history of alcohol problems
What is moderate drinking?
- For most women, moderate drinking is no more than one standard drink a day
- For most men, moderate drinking is no more than two standard drinks a day
Even though moderate drinking may be safe for many people, there are still risks. Moderate drinking can raise the risk of death from certain cancers and heart diseases.
What is a standard drink?
In the United States, a standard drink is one that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in:
- 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content)
- 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content)
- 1.5 ounces or a "shot" of distilled spirits or liquor (40% alcohol content)
Who should not drink alcohol?
Some people should not drink alcohol at all, including those who
- Are recovering from an alcohol use disorder (AUD) or are unable to control the amount they drink
- Are under age 21
- Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
- Are taking medicines that can interact with alcohol
- Have medical conditions that get can worse if you drink alcohol
- Are planning on driving
- Will be operating machinery
If you have questions about whether it is safe for you to drink, talk with your health care provider.
What is excessive drinking?
Excessive drinking includes binge drinking and heavy alcohol use:
- Binge drinking is drinking so much at once that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08% or more. For a man, this usually happens after having 5 or more drinks within a few hours. For a woman, it is after about 4 or more drinks within a few hours.
- Heavy alcohol use is having having more than 4 drinks on any day for men or more than 3 drinks for women
Binge drinking raises your risk of injuries, car crashes, and alcohol poisoning. It also puts you of becoming violent or being the victim of violence.
Heavy alcohol use over a long period of time may cause health problems such as
- Alcohol use disorder
- Liver diseases, including cirrhosis and fatty liver disease
- Heart diseases
- Increased risk for certain cancers
- Increased risk of injuries
Heavy alcohol use can also cause problems at home, at work, and with friends. But treatment can help.
NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Diagnosis and Tests
- Blood Alcohol Level (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- College Drinking - Changing the Culture (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Tips to Try -- Rethinking Drinking (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
Related Issues
- Alcohol Alert: Alcohol's Damaging Effects on the Brain (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Alcohol Alert: Link Between Stress and Alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Alcohol Poisoning (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Alcohol's Effects on the Body (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Alcohol: Does It Affect Blood Pressure? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Antidepressants and Alcohol (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Caffeine and Alcohol (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Drinking Levels Defined (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Drugged Driving (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
- Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) Also in Spanish
- Risky Drinking Can Put a Chill on Your Summer Fun (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- The Truth About Holiday Spirits (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Using Alcohol to Relieve Your Pain: What Are the Risks? (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
Specifics
- Eat Healthy: More Key Topics (Oils, Sugars, Saturated Fat, Sodium, Alcohol) (Department of Agriculture)
Health Check Tools
- Alcohol Calorie Calculator (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Calculators (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Interactive Worksheets and More (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
Statistics and Research
- Alcohol and Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- Alcohol Facts and Statistics (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Alcohol-Related Deaths Increase Nationwide (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: FDA Targets Illegal Hangover Relief.
- Article: Effects of Alcohol, Condom Request Style, and State Anger on Men's...
- Article: Geographical variations in maternal lifestyles during pregnancy associated with congenital heart...
- Alcohol -- see more articles
- Benefits of alcohol drinking -- see more articles
- Binge drinking -- see more articles
- Drinking and driving -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Getting Help (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Men
- Excessive Alcohol Use and Risks to Men's Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Women
- Excessive Alcohol Use and Risks to Women's Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Women and Alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) - PDF
Older Adults
- Facts About Aging and Alcohol (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish
- Older Adults and Alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
Patient Handouts
- Alcohol use and safe drinking (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Calorie count - Alcoholic beverages (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Deciding to quit drinking alcohol (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Health risks of alcohol use (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Weight loss and alcohol (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- What type of drinker are you? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- When you are drinking too much - tips for cutting back (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish