Official guidance
What the Australian alcohol guidelines actually say
The National Health and Medical Research Council’s 2020 text — quoted, linked, and not rewritten into a slogan or a weekly target.
- Standard drinks / week
- 10
- Standard drinks / any day
- 4
- One standard drink
- 10 g
- Guideline year
- 2020
For healthy adults, the NHMRC Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol recommend no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day. The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol.
Definition
Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol. Evidence-based advice published by the National Health and Medical Research Council in December 2020. They inform adults, clinicians, and policy — they do not make drinking risk-free.
What the three guidelines cover
| Compare | Public position | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Guideline 1 | No more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day. | Healthy adults. Less is lower risk. Not a safe-drinking guarantee. |
| Guideline 2 | Children and people under 18 should not drink alcohol. | Anyone under 18. This site is written for adults. |
| Guideline 3 | Do not drink if pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Not drinking is safest when breastfeeding. | People who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding. |
Questions
Questions people actually ask
Healthy adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day. People under 18 should not drink. Women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink. Confirm on the NHMRC alcohol page.
Count what you drink, then decide
Guidelines only make sense if you know what a standard drink is. Then open the beer, wine, or spirits hub if you need typical labelled ABV.