| Recommended limits for | Adult male | Adult female | Pregnancy (breastfeeding) | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per day — regular (any occasion) |
Per week | Per day — regular (any occasion) |
Per week | |||
| UK | [16 g] | 112 g | [16 g] | 112 g | Avoid alcohol if pregnant or planning pregnancy | Department of Health, UK |
| Ireland | [25 g] | 170 g | 15 g | 110 g | Best for a pregnant woman not to drink | Department of Health, Ireland |
| Canada | 27 g | 27 g | No alcohol if pregnant, planning to be, or breastfeeding | Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse | ||
| US | 28 g (56 g) |
196 g | 14 g (42 g) |
98 g | It is safest to avoid alcohol altogether | National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism |
| Australia | 20 g (40 g) |
140 g | 20 g (40 g) |
140 g | Not drinking is the safest option if pregnant or breastfeeding | National Health and Medical Research Council |
| New Zealand | 30 g (50 g) |
150 g | 20 g (40 g) |
100 g | Abstinence is the safest option if pregnant or breastfeeding or planning pregnancy | Health Promotion Agency NZ |
| France | 30 g | [210 g] | 30 g | [210 g] | Avoid alcohol altogether | Ministry of Health, Youth & Sports |
| Germany | 24 g | [120 g] | 12 g | [60 g] | No alcohol from the beginning | Federal Centre for Health Education |
| Japan | 40 g | 280 g | 20 g | 140–280 g | Avoid alcohol consumption of any amount | Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare |
| India | 20 g | [140 g] | 10 g | 50 g | Avoid alcohol completely. | National Drug Dependence Treatment Center (NDDTC), All India Institute of Medical Sciences |
| Thailand | ‘Consumption of alcoholic beverages is to be reduced, as the ill effects of excessive alcohol intake on nutritional status and health are well documented’ | Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health | ||||
| Italy | 24 g | 12 g | In pregnancy do not drink; protect the baby | Ministry of Health, Italy | ||
| Poland | 40 g | 280 g | 20 g | 140 g | No alcohol | State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems |
| China | 25 g | 15 g | Recommended not to drink alcohol at all | National Health and Family Planning Commission, China | ||
Square brackets indicate that a guideline was calculated from other information provided, rather than set out directly.
European Union (EU): there are no EU-wide recommendations on alcohol which is the prerogative of member countries.
Source:
Saunders, John B., and others (eds), 'Alcohol', in John Saunders, and others (eds), Oxford Handbook of Addiction Medicine, 3 edn, Oxford Medical Handbooks (Oxford, 2024; online edn, Oxford Academic, 1 May 2024), https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780192844088.003.0010
| Country | Standard drink (SD) size (g ethanol) |
|---|---|
| UK | 8 |
| Australia | 10 |
| France | 10 |
| Germany | 10 |
| Ireland | 10 |
| New Zealand | 10 |
| Canada | 14 |
| US | 14 |
| Japan | 20 |
| China | 10 |
| India | 10 |
Source:
Saunders, John B., and others (eds), 'Alcohol', in John Saunders, and others (eds), Oxford Handbook of Addiction Medicine, 3 edn, Oxford Medical Handbooks (Oxford, 2024; online edn, Oxford Academic, 1 May 2024), https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780192844088.003.0010
Examples of national low-risk drinking recommendations (or drinking guidelines if no low-risk recommendation is in place) and standard units
| Country | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). | nhmrc.gov.au |
| Canada | Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction | drinklesslivemore.ca |
| Europe | European Commission: National Drinking Guidelines and Standard Units for EU countries | knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu |
| France | Alcool Info Service | alcool-info-service.fr |
| Hong Kong SAR | Department of Health | change4health.gov.hk |
| Ireland | Health Service Executive (HSE) | hse.ie |
| Japan | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | nippon.com nibn.go.jp (PDF) |
| New Zealand | Health Promotion Directorate, Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora | alcohol.org.nz |
| Taiwan | Taiwan Beverage Alcohol Forum | tbaf.org.tw |
| UK (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) | Department of Health and Social Care, UK | gov.uk |
| USA | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) | rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov |