The NHS has warned Brits to be careful of how many units of alcohol they drink so they can lower their 'risk of harm'. It comes as many people across the country get ready to celebrate the New Year, which will involve a lot of alcohol in some households.

The health service has highlighted that there is never a completely safe amount of alcohol a person can drink. However, keeping below a certain amount can help reduce any risk of harm. The NHS added that tracking your alcohol units can help you ensure that your staying within the safe limit.

Guidance from the NHS highlights that regularly drinking more than a certain amount of alcohol reguarly can lead to a wide variety of health problems. This can include illnesses relating to kidneys as well as some cancers.

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Writing on X, the NHS said: "Know your units, know your limits. There isn’t a completely safe amount of alcohol you can drink, but you are at lower risk of harm if you drink 14 units or less a week.

"Tracking your units helps you stay in control."

All alcoholic drinks can be measured in units, regardless of whether it's a bottle, pint, or even a tiny shot. One unit is equal to 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which typically takes the average adult an hour to process.

Examples of units in common drinks include:

• 250ml glass of wine - three units


• Pint of 3.6% lager - two units


• 25ml spirit shot - one unit


• 275ml alcopop - 1.3 units

Guidance from the NHS highlights that illnesses from regularly drinking more than 14 units a week can develop across 10 to 20 years. Such illnesses can include:

• Brain damage


• Heart disease


• Damage to the nervous system


• Mouth cancer, throat cancer and breast cancer


• Liver disease


• Stroke


• Mental health issues

There also significant risks with drinking too much on just one occasion, including injury and death. Further guidance on alcohol units and how much is a lower risk to drink can be found on the NHS website here.