World No Alcohol Day and Sober October: what counts as one drink

Today is World No Alcohol Day, and it lands right at the start of Sober October, when a lot of people take a break from drinking for the month. Whether you are going alcohol-free or just paying more attention, it helps to know what one drink actually is.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines a U.S. standard drink as about 0.6 fluid ounces, or 14 grams, of pure alcohol. That equals 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of table wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. A standard 750 ml bottle of wine holds about five drinks, and light beer has about 85% as much alcohol as regular beer. Many restaurant pours and craft beers are bigger or stronger than a standard drink.

Experts quoted by Healthline say people who take a month off often report better sleep and that the changes become more noticeable after a few weeks. A break can also show you how often drinking had become automatic, such as a glass every evening.

NIAAA's free Rethinking Drinking website has a drink-size calculator, a calorie tracker and worksheets for turning down drinks. If you drink heavily every day, talk with a doctor before stopping suddenly, and ask what is safe for you.

One easy step for tonight: pick a drink you enjoy that has no alcohol, like sparkling water with citrus, and keep it on hand so the habit has something to land on.