The latest piece of festive joy from the Righteous is a warning that people drinking at home are pouring themselves measures much larger than the official “units” and thus underestimating their alcohol consumption.
Most people who drink spirits at home pour well over what they would get in a pub when trying to give a single measure, figures suggest.Surely the real reason for this is not ignorance but the fact that people couldn’t give a toss about the made-up official guidelines and their teeny units. And does anyone really think that 25 ml of spirits or 76ml of wine represents an acceptable or satisfying drink?
The government's Know Your Limits Campaign found that among 600 people tested, the average amount poured was 38ml, compared with a standard 25ml.
Those aged 31 to 50 - the most generous pourers - gave an average of 57ml.
For a person thinking they were drinking 7.5 units a week, the extra measures would equate to 17 units...
…When asked to pour the equivalent of one unit into a large (250ml) wine glass, the average amount poured was 157ml - almost exactly twice the correct amount of 76.25ml.
In a smaller wine glass (175ml), it was 131ml, which is still 55ml more than the correct standard measure.