Can YOU guess how much booze is in these glasses?

If a bottle of wine opened at night magically always seems to disappear, there could be a reason.

When a glass of wine is in front of them, many people underestimate how much wine is actually in it, new research suggests.

It could explain why measures poured out at home often outweigh those in bars and restaurants, and why people so often indulge in Christmas parties.

Nearly three-quarters of adults underestimate the amount of wine in an eight-ounce glass, according to a study by Direct Line Motor Insurance.

When shown the large glass, which contained a third of a bottle, 70 percent believed it was a medium or small glass.

When seeing a serving of gin in a glass, only 22 percent correctly identified a double measure.

About 59 percent of those polled believed the double measure was just a single measure.

Responding to the survey of 2,000 people, Andrew Misell of Alcohol Change UK said: ‘We’ve seen a major shift in drinking habits in recent years, with more and more of us drinking at home.

‘However, as this research has shown, many people are unsure of the size of the drinks they pour themselves, and often underestimate how much they drink.

This can lead them to drink more than they intended without realizing it.

“If you drink at home, it’s smart to get into the habit of checking the units in your drinks, keep a running count, and stay under 14 units per week.”

DrinkAware, the national charity that works to prevent alcohol abuse, advises people to “take the guesswork out of pouring” by buying an alcohol measuring cup or using a regular kitchen scale.

Earlier this year, Professor Julia Sinclair, chair of the addictions department at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, warned that millions of Britons are doing themselves ‘silent harm’ by drinking too much.

People drink at home, don’t keep track of how much they consume and encourage each other to drink more, she said.

The new study from Direct Line found that nearly 40 percent of drinkers never check how much alcohol they pour at home.

Only 15 percent correctly identified that a large glass of wine contains 3.2 units of alcohol, almost a third were in doubt and the rest opted for 2.4 or 2.8 units.

The NHS advice is for men and women to regularly drink no more than 14 units per week.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have previously found that people can be encouraged to drink less wine at home by using 50cl bottles instead of the standard 70cl size.

Commenting on the new research, Professor Dame Theresa Marteau, director of the Behavior and Health Research Unit at the University of Cambridge, said: ‘We know that wine glasses have almost doubled in size since the 1990s.

“So one of the most effective ways to counteract our well-known inability to judge drink and food portion sizes is to use smaller glasses and plates.”

Dr. Emily Finch, chair of the Faculty of Addictions at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: ‘During the pandemic we saw a rise in alcohol consumption – some people who never drank except when they went out often started drinking at home. longer and without realizing how much they consumed.

“Some of them will have started drinking at a problematic level.

“It is concerning that people are not only trying to overcome the at-home drinking habits formed during the pandemic, they are now facing a cost-of-living crisis that, in some circumstances, again poses potential risks for increased home drinking.”

ANSWERS. Wine: 3.2 units, Gin: 1.8 units.

DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK

A screening tool commonly used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). The 10-question test, developed in conjunction with the World Health Organization, is considered the gold standard for helping determine whether someone is abusing alcohol.

The test is reproduced here with permission from the WHO.

To complete it, answer each question and record the corresponding score.

YOUR SCORE:

0-7: You are within the limits of sensible drinking and have a low risk of alcohol-related problems.

More than 8: Indicate harmful or dangerous drinking.

8-15: Medium risk level. If you drink at your current level, you risk having problems with your health and life in general, such as work and relationships. Consider cutting down (see below for tips).

16-19: Higher risk of complications from alcohol. Cutting back on your own can be difficult at this level as you may be dependent, so you may need professional help from your GP and/or a counselor.

20 and older: Possible dependency. Your drinking is already causing problems and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider stopping gradually or at least drinking less. You should seek professional help to determine your dependency and the safest way to stop drinking.

Severe dependence may require medically assisted weaning or detox in a hospital or specialist clinic. This is due to the potential for severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the first 48 hours that require specialist treatment.