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Binge Drinking - Busting the myth

The term 'binge drinking' is generally used to refer to single-occasion drinking i.e. when you drink heavily over a short period of time.

To reduce your risk of short and long term harm from alcohol, the National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend low-risk drinking levels to minimise health and safety risks:

The recommended guidelines for low-risk drinking are:

Men male sign Women female sign
  • Maximum of 4 standard drinks per day on average.
  • 1 or 2 alcohol-free days a week.

For a single drinking occasion:

  • No more than 6 standard drinks on any one day, and no more than 3 days a week.
  • No more than 2 standard drinks in the first hour, and 1 per hour afterwards.
  • Maximum of 2 standard drinks per day on average.
  • 1 or 2 alcohol-free days a week.

For a single drinking occasion:

  • No more than 4 standard drinks on any one day, and no more than 3 days a week.
  • No more than 1 standard drink per hour.

Note: These guidelines apply to persons above about 60kg for men and 50kg for women.  Persons of smaller than average body size should drink within lower levels.

Busting the myth facts

  • Alcohol is the second largest cause of drug-related deaths and hospitalisations. Tobacco is the largest.
  • Harmful alcohol consumption contributes to more than 3,000 Australian deaths every year.
  • Steer clear of alcohol if you're pregnant. There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
  • Alcohol affects your brain, impairing your movement, coordination, judgement and speech, from your very first drink.
  • The effects of alcohol differ from person to person.
  • Girls are more likely to have a higher blood alcohol concentration than a guy, even when they've had the same amount to drink.
  • Alcohol causes around one-third of all road deaths.
  • Your liver can only get rid of about one standard drink per hour. Nothing can speed this up - not even black coffee, cold showers, exercise or vomiting.
  • You can still be over the legal limit for driving the next morning.

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