calculator
Drinks Tracker
Adds up the alcohol in what you drink over a week in standard drinks (units) and grams, what it costs you, and how it compares with lower-risk guidance, without judgement.
| Drink | Size (ml) | Strength (%) | How many this week | Price each (R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
About 11.6 standard drinks this week
That is about 116 g of pure alcohol (one standard drink is about 10 g), roughly 3.9 on a drinking day, with 4 alcohol-free days. Drinking at this rate costs about R909 a month.
This is above a common lower-risk guide of about 10 standard drinks a week with at least two alcohol-free days. Cutting down even a little lowers the strain on your liver, heart, sleep and mood.
For awareness only: this is not a diagnosis and does not tell you whether you have a drinking problem.
Want help interpreting this? Talk to a person
What you will need
- What did you drink? (add each drink) (list): Pick a drink type and size, or enter your own volume (ml) and strength (% alcohol on the label).
- On how many days did you drink this week? (days): Counted from the dates of your entries if you log daily.
- Price per drink (optional) (R): More detail: to see what drinking costs you each month.
- When you stop or cut down, do you get shakes, sweats, feeling sick, anxiety, or seeing or hearing things? (yes/no): More detail
How it works
Presets (volume ml, ABV%): beer can 340 ml 5%; beer can 440 ml 5%; beer quart 750 ml 5%; cider 330 ml 5%; ready-to-drink 275 ml 5%; wine glass 125 ml 13%; wine glass 175 ml 13%; wine bottle 750 ml 13%; box wine 1 litre 12%; spirit tot 25 ml 43%; spirit double 50 ml 43%; spirit bottle 750 ml 43%; umqombothi 1 litre ~3% (varies). For each drink: grams = volume_ml x ABV / 100 x 0.789; units = grams / 10 (1 unit or standard drink = about 10 g of pure alcohol, matching the article health-alcohol-and-your-wellbeing). weekly_units = sum(units). per_session_max = max over days of units that day. monthly_cost = sum(price_each x count) x 4.33. heavy_session = any day with grams >= 60, i.e. 6 or more units (WHO heavy episodic drinking threshold). lower_risk_guide = weekly_units <= 10 AND no day above 2 units for women or 3 for men AND at least 2 alcohol-free days (a conservative guide; there is no completely safe level; confirm against current SA guidance). Days without alcohol = 7 - drinking_days.
What you get
- Alcohol units this week
- Grams of pure alcohol this week
- Most units in one day
- Alcohol-free days
- Estimated cost each month
What it means
- You are within common lower-risk guidance this week; fewer drinks is still better for sleep, mood and health.
- This is above a lower-risk pattern; cutting down even a little lowers the strain on your liver, heart, sleep and mood.
- You had at least one heavy drinking session, which raises the chance of injuries, arguments, unsafe sex and regret.
- Having at least two or three alcohol-free days a week gives your body a break.
- Withdrawal signs mean it may not be safe to stop suddenly on your own: please see a doctor or clinic first. Seizures, confusion or seeing things are an emergency: call Ambulance 10177 or 112.
Next step: Want help interpreting this? Talk to a Cleared Mind counsellor, the Substance Abuse Helpline on 0800 12 13 14 (SMS 32312), or your clinic.
Runs on the device. Nothing is saved unless the member chooses.