Windsor Essex County Health Unit
Rethink Your Drinking
People who choose to drink alcohol
have a lot to think about. They need to think
about what they drink, how much they
drink, and why they drink. Thinking about
drinking may sound complicated, but it
doesn’t have to be. Making an alcohol plan
that answers these questions can help you:
• understand how alcohol affects your body,
mind, and lifestyle and
• control your drinking.
What to drink: When it comes to your
body and how it breaks down alcohol, there
is no difference between a standard drink of
beer, wine, and liquor. A standard drink is:
• 342 ml (12 oz.) of 5 per cent beer, cider, or
cooler
• 142 ml (5 oz.) of 12 per cent wine
• 43 ml (1.5 oz.) of 40 per cent distilled
liquor
The amount of alcohol is the same in
all three drinks, about 13.6 gms or 0.6 oz. of
100 per cent pure alcohol.
The body absorbs alcohol very quickly.
It reaches the brain in approximately five
minutes and starts to change how you think,
feel, and act. How quickly you absorb and
break down alcohol depends on how much
you weigh, your gender, age, drinking
history, how much food is in your stomach,
and how much and how fast you drink. It
takes the average body about 90 minutes to
break down and eliminate the alcohol in one
standard drink. When you drink more than
two drinks in three hours, alcohol starts to
collect in the body and begins to impair
your judgement.
Get started:
Make your alcohol plan at
rethinkyourdrinking.ca.
The site offers information
about the Canadian
Low-risk alcohol drinking
guidelines and why they’re
important.
In addition, the Centre for
Addiction and Mental
Health just released a new
mobile app called
‘Saying When’.
The app gives step by step
instructions to help you
take charge of your
drinking.
How much to drink: High-risk drinking is
drinking five or more drinks in one sitting
at least once a week or more often.
Consuming five or more drinks in one
sitting for males and four or more for
females each week is commonly known as
risky drinking. Consuming five or more
drinks in one sitting at least once in the past
year, or up to three times a month, puts you
at a moderate-risk for alcohol-related harms
such as high blood pressure, stroke,
diabetes, some cancers, and stomach
problems.
The eight million moderate-risk
drinkers in Canada account for most of the
alcohol-related harms. According to Cancer
Care Ontario, even drinking small amounts
of alcohol increases the risk of mouth,
throat, liver, colorectal and breast cancer.
The risk increases with every drink. In fact,
the more drinks you have in a day, the
higher your risk of health problems later in
life.
Why we drink: Ever said “I’ve had a
tough day, I don’t have to work tomorrow, or
I’m going out with friends”? Instead of
making reasons to drink that could lead to
drinking too much, make reasons not to
drink too much. Reasons like - I’ll
remember the fun I had, I’m setting a good
example, or I know I’ll feel good about the
decisions I will make.
Additional information including a list
of local alcohol and drug treatment options )