Balance & Moderation
Initiating a conversation with a health professional and understanding what works for you and your life can equip you with the knowledge and awareness that allow your choices to feel intentional rather than automatic. Whether that means understanding what your personal limit is, alternating your drinks with mocktails or other alcohol-free options, deciding when to stop, or deciding to not drink at all, staying in control of these moments and decisions can keep your experiences enjoyable.
What will you find under this topic?
- A full explanation of the the Government of Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines.
- Tools to track your drinks, alcohol consumption and blood alcohol levels in real time.
- Ideas for consuming less alcohol in general or at an upcoming event.
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Canada's Low Risk Drinking Guidelines
Canada’s current Low-Risk Alcohol Guidelines can help you make informed decisions about drinking. The guidelines recommend setting limits to help you reduce the acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health risks of alcohol use.
It’s important to keep in mind that:
The intention of these guidelines is not to encourage people who abstain (forcultural, spiritiual, heath or other reasons) to start drinking these are “low-risk” guidelines, no “no-risk” guidelines. Any amount of alcohol consumption can have risks to your health.
The Guidelines for Consumption Limits
Women:
Limit alcohol to no more than:
- 2 standard drinks per day
- 10 standard drinks per week
- 3 standard drinks on special occasions
- Avoid drinking alcohol on some days
Men:
Limit alcohol to no more than:
- 3 standard drinks per day
- 15 standard drinks per week
- 4 standard drinks on special occasions
- Avoid drinking alcohol on some days
What is a Standard Drink?
Knowing how to calculate the number of standard drinks per container is an important practice of responsible drinking, because not all containers have the same alcohol percentage, or the same volume.
A standard drink is a measure of how much pure alcohol you are drinking. It varies based on the concentration of alcohol in a beverage. In Canada, a standard drink is 17.05 millilitres or 13.45 grams of pure alcohol. This is the equivalent of:
- A bottle of beer (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
- A bottle of cider (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
- A ready-to-drink can (12oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
- A glass of wine (5 oz., 142 ml, 12% alcohol)
- A shot glass of spirits (1.5 oz., 43 ml, 40% alcohol)
Therefore, there is no beverage of moderation, only the practice of moderation.
How to use the calculator
Figuring out how many standard drinks are in your beverage is simple. Locate these two pieces of information on your beverage container:
- The size of the container (usually in ounces or mL)
- The alcohol percentage (ABV) — sometimes listed as “proof”
This calculator works for distilled spirits, wine, beer, wine, or ready-to-drink beverages.
Updated On: 10/23/2026