Stage 3

AUDIT C Option 3: A score of less than 5

Based on your answers about how much alcohol you consume, it appears that you are at low risk of experiencing alcohol -related problems if you continue to drink moderately. This means that you are at lower risk for many of the health and emotional problems than those who drink at a higher level than you. Your drinking is not likely to cause you problems if it remains at this level.

Risk	Your Score	Men	Women	Common effects
Low risk	Your score indicates you are here.	21standard drinks or fewer per week or up to 4 standard drinks a day	14 standard drinks or fewer per week or up to 3 standard drinks per day	Increased relaxation Alcohol consumption at very low levels can provide a protective effect in middle and older age groups for certain diseases mainly heart disease, stroke and diabetes mellitus. At higher levels of consumption this protective effect is lost and the risk of disease increases. Sociability Alcohol even at low risk-levels of consumption, increases the risk of many major diseases including numerous cancers and gastrointestinal conditions.
Increasing risk-hazardous		22-49 standard drinks per week or regular drinking of no more than 4 standard drinks per day	15-35 standard drinks per week or regular drinking of more than 3 standard drinks a day	Less energy Depression/Stress Insomnia Impotence Risk of injury High blood pressure Unsafe sex practices
Higher risk- harmful drinking		50+ standard drinks per week	36+ standard drinks per week	All of the above and: Memory loss Increased risk of liver disease Increased risk of cancer including breast, liver and cancers of the mouth. Possible alcohol dependence Depression Increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Harm to relationships, work, studies, friendships or social life.
High Risk -possible dependence		50+ standard drinks per week	36+ standard drinks per week	A higher risk of all of the above and: Risk of brain damage Increased weight gain and poor physical condition. Risk of experiencing withdrawal symptoms

Low risk weekly guidelines for adults are:

up to 14 standard drinks in a week for women, and
up to 21 standard drinks in a week for men.

View more information on standard drinks.

Drinks should be spaced out over the week, not consumed in one sitting. Drinking more than these levels increases your chance of alcohol related health problems like accidents, injuries, high blood pressure, liver disease, cancer and heart disease. XXX Percentage of people in Ireland never exceed those levels.

Remember, drinks measures are not always the same. What you get in a pub and what you pour for yourself could be very different.

But remember there are times when these low risk guidelines do not apply- for example:

if you're a teenager, it is healthier for teenagers not to drink alcohol
when pregnant or breastfeeding
if you're ill, run-down or taking medication
When driving or operating machinery
If you cannot control your drinking
If you are over 65.

Low risk drinking involves limiting alcohol use to amounts or patterns that are unlikely to cause harm to oneself or others. The risk of harm increases significantly when people consume more than 2-3 standard drinks per day for women and more than 3-4 standard drinks per day for men and more than five days per week. So keep up the good work!

If you wish to read more information on alcohol please visit our Alcohol Info section. You can also view services in your area or launch the drugs.ie online interactive live helper chat service to speak to someone directly.

Thank you for taking the time to visit the site and share your answers.

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