Novice boozer
Question
I don't often drink alcohol but have got a big party coming up. I'm 17 and quite small - how many pints will I be able to handle?
Answer
It's impossible to say exactly how much is safe for you to drink because alcohol affects different people in different ways for example, people can drink different amounts of alcohol based on their size and metabolism.
Most people develop some tolerance to alcohol, so if you are small and not used to drinking it is likely that it won't take many drinks for you to get drunk.
A lot will depend on how strong the drink is - one kind of beer can have more than twice as much alcohol as another.
It's worth remembering that a night of drinking to excess (binge drinking) can be dangerous, potentially leading to accidents and health problems. So, while you might be looking forward to having a few drinks, it's best not to go overboard.
There's lots you can do to make drinking alcohol as safe as possible. For example, eat before you drink, drink water as well as alcohol, don't mix drinks and, most importantly, know at the outset how much you will have before you stop.
In the longer run, if you start drinking more regularly, you should consider how much it's safe to drink each week and how to drink responsibly.
Updated: 13/04/2010
Question answered by Addaction
