What is Moderate Drinking?

When you hear people saying one should drink moderately, the question is always: Who decides what is moderate?

One drink a day may be moderate for some while others consider three drinks a day moderate. The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking’s national drinking guidelines state that the responsibility for issuing and communicating advice on alcohol consumption rests with national governments.

For this reason, most governments produce official drinking guidelines.

For the United States of America, it’s two drinks a day for men and one for women, citing health benefits related to reduction of heart diseases promoting this type of drinking.

For South Africa, regulations say no more than two standard drinks (340ml) for women and three standard drinks for men per day, and for Australia, moderate drinking means no more than two standard drinks per day for both men and women.

In Namibia, moderate drinking is often left to subjective interpretation but it’s important for people who drink alcohol to consider their drinking habits and the overall impact on their health and society.

Do your drinking habits affect your family and community negatively?

Does the amount of alcohol you consume make you reckless?

Moderate drinking is not just about your preferences, it’s about the consequences of your drinking both internally and externally, so choose today to be a moderate drinker.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.