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The South African Breweries’ (SAB) has shown a commitment to reducing the harm that alcohol abuse causes to South Africans, with an easy-to-understand guide that gives the facts about alcohol units and measures.
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In South Africa, the legal limit is a breath alcohol content of 0.24mg per 1 000ml, or a blood alcohol limit of 0.05g per 100ml. The South African government defines moderate alcohol consumption as no more than two standard drinks, 340ml or a half quart of beer per day for women and no more than three standard drinks per day for men.
The rule of thumb is a maximum of one unit of alcohol per hour, which constitutes 10ml of pure alcohol, based on an adult weighing 68kg. Our bodies can process only one unit of alcohol each hour. Be aware that if you weigh less than 68kg your body will need more time to process the same amount of alcohol.
Alcohol content is also expressed as a percentage of the whole drink. Look on a can of beer or a bottle of wine and you’ll see either a percentage, followed by the abbreviation ‘ALC/VOL’ (alcohol by volume). Wine that says ‘13 ABV’ on its label contains 13% pure alcohol.
It is recommended that women and men should not regularly exceed 14 units of alcohol per week. This should be spread evenly over the week. Units are a way to tell how strong your drink is.
“Alcohol significantly slows reaction time and distorts your vision, and the effects of a heavy night of drinking could well affect your driving ability the next morning, and you may still even be over the legal limit,” says Nirishi Trikamjee, SAB Corporate Affairs Director.
Any quick-fix solutions to sober up, such as drinking coffee, taking a cold shower or drinking a litre of water before driving are myths.
“Once the alcohol is in your system your liver is going to need time to process it, and restricting yourself to only one unit per hour is the only way to stay sober in the eyes of the law.”
The idea behind eating a meal before having a few drinks has to do with the fact that alcohol is mostly absorbed not while in the stomach but once it reaches the small intestine. If your stomach is full of food alcohol is held up and takes longer to get into your system.
Scientific studies have shown that eating food before you drink results in your blood alcohol level peaking at a lower value meaning that you feel the effects of the alcohol to a lesser extent. So lining your stomach is a good idea if you plan to drink.