Moderate drinking means keeping drinking quantities under specific limits. Quantities are expressed in terms of customary standard-sized drinks.
The standard drink here is one twelve-ounce bottle of regular (5% alcohol) beer, 5 ounces of table wine (12%), or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor (40%).
No more than 14 drinks per week, and not more than 4 per occasion.
No more than 9 drinks per week, and not more than 3 per occasion.
Do not drink on more than 3-4 days per week.
Research has shown that these moderate drinking guidelines and limits are generally workable for persons who have learned to moderate after experiencing drinking problems.
These limits are mostly the same as those set forth by the US government’s National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. However, NIAAA gives a similar but slightly lower weekly limit for women of 7 drinks per week (with the same 3 per occasion), so women might consider adopting that lower weekly limit.
