Drinking too much can be harmful, but there are also times when it's just not a good idea to drink at all, like:

• before driving or operating machinery

• when working with electrical equipment or on ladders

• when on medication

• when looking after children

• when taking part in potentially risky activities such as swimming or other active sports.

Alcohol and Weight

Alcohol has quite a high calorie content - weight for weight the alcohol in your drink contains almost as many calories as fat.

• A pint of average strength lager contains a total of 160 calories, so drinking four pints in an evening adds up to 640 calories

• Three glasses of red wine adds up to nearly 300 calories

• In comparison, a 25g bag of crisps contains about 130 calories