Standard Drinks

The concept of a “standard drink” is a useful tool for information, advice about drinking practices and prevention, and an important component of any comprehensive alcohol policy. Definitions of “standard” drinks or units are often used in conjunction with guidelines and recommendations about drinking levels considered within reasonable thresholds for avoiding potential harm.  They are also often paired with “typical” sizes of drinks that contain the “standard” amount of ethanol.  Standard drinks or units are intended to allow consumers to monitor how much alcohol they are consuming and to provide a reference point relative to what the potential for risk may be. As such, standard units have become an important component of many education efforts around alcohol consumption.   Aside from this public health rationale, in a number of countries, there is a long-standing tradition of serving beverage alcohol in well-defined amounts in serving establishments.  From a commercial perspective, this allows the server or retailer to monitor how much alcohol is being served and ensures that drinks sizes do not vary significantly.  It is also a useful tracking tool for licensing authorities that regulate the sales of beverage alcohol.  Thus, in the tradition of many countries, it is not unusual to order 20dl of wine, a pint of beer, or a “shot” of a spirit (usually 1.5 fluid oz.).  The sizes of servings are largely shaped by local customs and culture.

• Key Facts and Issues
• Blue Book Module: Standard Drinks (121 KB .pdf)
• Table: International Drinking Guidelines
• Table: Standard Alcohol Units
  
• Further Resources
• Targeted Interventions (410 KB .pdf)

ICAP Blue Book
Practical Guides for Alcohol Policy
and Prevention Approaches

The ICAP Blue Book offers a comprehensive guide to the key issues in alcohol policy development, and an integrated approach to prevention. It draws upon the best available research and experience from around the world.

As a policy guide, the ICAP Blue Book is based on three principles:

drinking patterns and their outcomes as a sound scientific basis for policy development;

targeted interventions that address specific "at-risk" populations, potentially harmful contexts and drinking patterns;

partnerships that allow the inclusion of the public and private sectors, the community and civil society all working towards a common goal.

It is intended as a tool to assist those seeking guidance in developing policy and prevention approaches, be they governments, intergovernmental organizations, public health officials and specialists, researchers, non-governmental organizations, the beverage alcohol industry and its related bodies, or civil society organizations interested in alcohol policy development.

Click here for the ICAP Blue Book Module on Standard Drinks. (121 KB .pdf)

Click here for the entire ICAP Blue Book.

Related ICAP Blue Book Modules include:

Drinking Guidelines (128 KB .pdf)