The Ministry of Health offers clear guidelines on determining whether your alcohol intake is harmful.
They suggest long-term drinking risks can be reduced by drinking no more than two standard drinks a day for women and no more than 10 standard drinks a week. Although men can safely consume three standard drinks each day and no more than 15 standard drinks a week.
It is also advised to have two alcohol-free days every week.
What is considered one standard drink may also surprise you. A 330ml can of beer containing 4 per cent alcohol is considered one standard drink. As is a 100ml glass of wine at 12.5 per cent alcohol.
Meanwhile a 335ml bottle of RTD spirits at 8 per cent alcohol is 2.1 standard drinks and a 750ml bottle of wine containing 13 per cent alcohol is 7.7 standard drinks.
Moving up the ladder quickly, a 1000ml bottle of spirits at 47 per cent alcohol is the equivalent of a whopping 37 standard drinks, while a three-litre cask of 12.5 per cent wine is 30 standard drinks.
My issue is not a lack of alcohol-free days. I aim and achieve, usually, five booze-free days every week.
But, if I am completely honest with myself, I drink more than what is considered a safe three standard drinks once a week. Which, by definition, is binge drinking.
I'm under no illusion that achieving complete sobriety will be a challenging process. After all, booze is ingrained in Kiwi culture.
But, all going to plan, I'll be raising a toast, with an orange juice, to a month free of alcohol come July 31.
