taken. Alcohol may be metabolised more slowly if liver function is impaired. Recommended maximum From 1992 to 1995, the UK government advised that men should drink no more than 21 units per week, and women no more than 14. (The difference between the sexes was due to the typically lower weight and water-to-body-mass ratio of women). The Times claimed in October 2007 that these limits had been "plucked out of the air" and had no scientific basis. This was changed after a government study showed that many people were in effect "saving up" their units and using them at the end of the week, a form of binge drinking. Since 1995 the advice was that regular consumption of 3–4 units a day for men, or 2–3 units a day for women, would not pose significant health risks, but that consistently drinking four or more units a day (men), or three or more units a day (women), is not advisable. An international study of about 6,000 men and 11,000 women for a total of 75,000 person-years found that people who reported that they drank more than a threshold value of 2 units of alcohol a day had a higher risk of fractures than non-drinkers. For example, those who drank over 3 units a day had nearly twice the risk of a hip fracture. See also Standard drink Notes References External links IARD: Drinking Guidelines General Population by country Alcohol Labelling, with downloadable "Alcohol labelling tool kit" including labelling specifications Online converter between different countries' standard drinks and units Drinkaware NHS Choices: Drinking and alcohol NHS Choices: Alcohol unit calculator Online alcohol demotivator calculator Units of measurement Alcohol measurement