Low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines

On this page:

• Standard drink
• Canada's low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines

Standard drink

A standard drink is a measure of how much pure alcohol you are drinking. It varies based on the concentration of alcohol in a beverage.

In Canada, a standard drink is 17.05 millilitres or 13.45 grams of pure alcohol. This is the equivalent of:

• a bottle of beer (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
• a bottle of cider (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
• a glass of wine (5 oz., 142 ml, 12% alcohol)
• a shot glass of spirits (1.5 oz., 43 ml, 40% alcohol)

Canada's low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines

Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines can help you make informed decisions about drinking. The guidelines recommend setting limits to help you reduce the acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health risks of alcohol use.

It is important to keep in mind that:

• the intention of these guidelines is not to encourage people who abstain (for cultural, spiritual, health or other reasons) to start drinking
• these are "low-risk" guidelines, not "no-risk" guidelines. Any amount of alcohol consumption can have risks to your health

The guidelines for consumption limits

Women:

• limit alcohol to no more than:
  • 2 standard drinks per day
  • 10 standard drinks per week
  • 3 standard drinks on special occasions
• avoid drinking alcohol on some days

Men:

• limit alcohol to no more than:
  • 3 standard drinks per day
  • 15 standard drinks per week
  • 4 standard drinks on special occasions
• avoid drinking alcohol on some days

Pregnant women:

• avoid drinking alcohol

Youth, with parental consent:

• limit alcohol to:
  • no more than twice weekly
  • no more than 1 or 2 standard drinks each time