Alcohol Guidelines
Find out the latest advice from health experts on how you can reduce health risks from drinking alcohol.
How alcohol affects your body
Tap the body parts below to explore how alcohol can damage your body.
From the brain to reproductive organs, alcohol impacts almost every organ in your body. Reduce your drinking to reduce the damage.
Brain
Mouth/throat
Heart
Breast
Stomach
Liver
Reproductive System
Bone
Muscle
Skin
Pancreas
Lungs
Bowel
There is no safe level of alcohol
If you do drink, the Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommends that healthy men and women have no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any day to reduce the risk of alcohol-related harm. The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol.
There are some people who are at greater risk of harm, including:
- children and young people under 18
- young adults aged 18 to 25 years
- people aged over 60 years
- people with mental or physical health conditions
- people with a family history of alcohol dependence
- people who use illicit drugs or take medications that interact with alcohol
- people who are pregnant or breastfeeding
Page last updated7 August 2023