How much is a standard drink? 

In the United States, a "standard" drink contains about 14 grams of alcohol. That's the amount in:

• 12 oz of beer (if the beer is 5% Alcohol by Volume)

• 5 oz of wine (if the wine is 12% Alcohol)

• 1.5 oz (1 shot) of liquor (if the liquor is 40% Alcohol, aka 80 proof)

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A regular size wine bottle contains about 5 standard drinks. Drinks in restaurants are often 2 or more "standard" drinks. For example, wine may come in 6oz-9oz amounts. A cocktail often contains 2 shots. Learn more & get tools for making changes at Rethinking Drinking.

What are good educational resources?

For Kids: Ask Listen Learn 

• Rethinking Drinking

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving handbook for middle school parents, high school parents

• Sample contract for teen drivers

• Courage to Speak parent module

• SAMHSA

• College drinking prevention

• Alternatives for Teens: Natural High

How many drinks are safe?

• In CT, an adult is legally intoxicated if their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level is 0.8. A person under age 21 is legally intoxicated if their BAC is 0.2. 

• Sex and weight affect how fast the body metabolizes alcohol. (See BAC graphic below.)

• The average adult American female will reach a BAC of 0.8 between 2 and 3 standard drinks.

• The average adult American male will reach a BAC of 0.8 after 3 standard drinks.  

• It takes the body about 1 3/4 hours to process one standard drink.

• Binge drinking is when people consume 4-5 (or more) drinks within 2 hours--far more than the body can process. Health effects can include overdose, brain damage, and death. 

• See CT's Driving Under the Influence laws here.