<ul> <li>your weight</li> <li>whether you're male or female</li> <li>your age</li> <li>how quickly or slowly your body turns food into energy (your metabolism)</li> <li>how much food you have eaten</li> <li>the type and strength of the alcohol</li> <li>whether you're taking medication and, if so, what type</li> </ul> It can also take longer if your liver isn't working normally.

How long does alcohol stay in your blood?

1 unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. There are roughly: <ul> <li>2.1 units in a standard glass (175ml) of average-strength wine (12%)</li> <li>3 units in a large glass (250ml) of average-strength wine (12%)</li> <li>2 units in a pint of low-strength lager, beer or cider (3.6%)</li> <li>3 units in a pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider (5.2%)</li> <li>1 unit in a single measure of spirits (25ml)</li> </ul> ::: body-ad-desktop zones:: 232632,232412,232640 types:: 163 disclaimer:: AD typeFilter:: native_ad adCount:: 1 ::: ::: body-ad-mobile zones:: 232632,232412,232642 types:: 5,163 disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT typeFilter:: display/native_ad adCount:: 1 :::

How much is 1 unit of alcohol? 

If you drink a large (250ml) glass of wine, your body takes about 3 hours to break down the alcohol. If you drink 1 pint of beer, your body takes about 2 hours to break it down, 1 pint of strong lager is equivalent to 3 units, so this will take longer. However, this time can vary, depending on the factors mentioned above. If you have a few drinks during a night out, it can take many hours for the alcohol to leave your body. The alcohol could still be in your blood the next day. This means that if you drive the day after an evening of drinking, you could be over the legal alcohol limit. ::: body-ad-mobile zones:: 232632,232412,233460 types:: 5 disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT typeFilter:: display adCount:: 1 :::

Adding up your units 

To reduce the risk of harming your health if you drink most weeks: <ul> <li>men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week</li> <li>spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week</li> <li>it's a good idea to have several alcohol-free days each week</li> </ul> Read more about the <a href="/drinking-alcohol/effects-of-alcohol/">risks of drinking too much</a>.

Know your units 



- your weight
- whether you're male or female
- your age
- how quickly or slowly your body turns food into energy (your metabolism)
- how much food you have eaten
- the type and strength of the alcohol
- whether you're taking medication and, if so, what type

It can also take longer if your liver isn't working normally.

## How much is 1 unit of alcohol? 

1 unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. There are roughly:

- 2.1 units in a standard glass (175ml) of average-strength wine (12%)
- 3 units in a large glass (250ml) of average-strength wine (12%)
- 2 units in a pint of low-strength lager, beer or cider (3.6%)
- 3 units in a pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider (5.2%)
- 1 unit in a single measure of spirits (25ml)


::: body-ad-desktop
zones:: 232632,232412,232640
types:: 163
disclaimer:: AD
typeFilter:: native_ad
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::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232412,232642
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disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
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## Adding up your units 

If you drink a large (250ml) glass of wine, your body takes about 3 hours to break down the alcohol.

If you drink 1 pint of beer, your body takes about 2 hours to break it down, 1 pint of strong lager is equivalent to 3 units, so this will take longer.

However, this time can vary, depending on the factors mentioned above.

If you have a few drinks during a night out, it can take many hours for the alcohol to leave your body. The alcohol could still be in your blood the next day.

This means that if you drive the day after an evening of drinking, you could be over the legal alcohol limit.


::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232412,233460
types:: 5
disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
typeFilter:: display
adCount:: 1

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## Know your units 

To reduce the risk of harming your health if you drink most weeks:

- men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
- spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week
- it's a good idea to have several alcohol-free days each week

Read more about the [risks of drinking too much](/drinking-alcohol/effects-of-alcohol/).

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References

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Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

On average, it takes about 1 hour for your body to break down 1 unit of alcohol. Learn about how long alcohol stays in your blood here - using content verified by certified doctors.