Sticking to the right number of units for you is crucial to prevent accidents and major health risks. Find out how many units of alcohol are lurking in your favourite tipple.

The average British man drinks 17 units of alcohol a week, and the average woman 7.6 units and rising. But are you drinking too much? That depends on how many units of alcohol you drink, your body size, fitness and how quickly you drink.

The number of alcohol-related deaths have tripled in the last 20 years. A quarter of all car accidents are alcohol related and over a third of pedestrians killed on our roads are over the limit.

When you drink alcohol, it’s carried straight to the heart, lungs, muscles and brain via the liver. The higher the concentration of alcohol in your blood, the greater its effect will be. The liver flushes alcohol from the body at the rate of about one unit an hour, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to speed up to process.

It’s recommended that women shouldn’t drink more than 2 units a day and 14 in a week, and men should stick to 3 units a day and 21 a week. The legal driving limit is four units for men and three for women – but one drink does not equal one unit – some alcoholic beverages and brands contain much more than others, and it all depends on the concentrated alcohol volume in the drink. One UK unit contains eight grams of pure alcohol. Read more: How much is it safe to drink?

So how many units are in your favourite drink? Read on to find out.

Beer

A pint of ordinary strength lager is about 2 units, and cans contain about 1.5 units. But a pint of strong lager such as Stella Artois or Kronenbourg 1664 are about 3 units, and some continental and extra strength beers and lagers may contain up to 5 units a pint.

Wine

It’s common knowledge that a glass of wine is one unit of alcohol – but is it really? A small glass of wine contains about one unit – but if you’re honest with yourself you’ll probably find that you don’t drink small glasses, which are supposed to contain only 125ml – that’s half a regular glass.

Most wine glasses, and certainly those you’ll get in a bar, contain at least double that amount – and therefore at least 2 units. Plus, that’s not considering that many wines have a higher alcohol content than average, which will also push up the unit tally. This means that in reality a standard glass of wine these days adds up to between 2.3 and 3 units for a 250ml glass – that’s the legal limit for women!

Spirits

An average pub measure of spirits like vodka and rum is about one unit – but many use larger measures or serve doubles unless you specify otherwise, so be aware that you may be drinking double the units without realising it.

Alcopops

Sweet, fizzy alcoholic drinks such as Smirnoff Ice, WKD or Bacardi Breezer usually contain about 1.5 units of alcohol, although some brands contain 2.

Cider

A pint of cider will set you back 2 units, while strong cider like Strongbow or Dry Blackthorn will cost you 3 units.

Cocktails

Cocktails are dangerous when it comes to alcohol units, as they often taste innocent but can contain several shots of alcohol. An average-sized party cocktail can contain a massive 4 - 5 units.

Bitter

A pint of ordinary bitter contains about 2 units, and best bitter such as Fuller’s ESB and Young’s Special is about 3 units.

Stout

A pint of stout adds up to about 2.5 units.

For more on the health risks of drinking more than a couple of units of alcohol a day, Click Here.