Know your spirits level: Alcohol tolerance by the decades

Your tolerance to alcohol decreases as you age. Here's what you need to consider through the decades to minimise the health risks

The HSE’s weekly alcohol consumption guidelines are straightforward to follow: 11 standard drinks per week for women and 17 for men.

DRINKING and the pub have long been a mainstay of Irish society. Drinks on a night out are how most of us socialise. Good news, and milestones such as births, weddings, graduations and funerals are marked with “a few drinks”.

We’re not alone, but the amount of alcohol we drink per capita is among the highest in the world. We consumed 11.7 litres of pure alcohol (LPA) in 2019, the sixth-highest rate. The global average is 5.5 LPA. So says the World Health Organisation.