UK alcohol guidelines explained: how many units a week?
The UK Chief Medical Officers advise men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, spread over three or more days, with several drink-free days. (NHS)
The guidelines were updated in 2016. Before then, men were told they could drink up to 21 units a week. The change brought the advice for men into line with the advice for women, based on newer evidence about alcohol and cancer. They're often called the low-risk drinking guidelines, and many people who drink mindfully use them as their benchmark. (Gazette report on the 2016 guidelines)
What 14 units looks like
Fourteen units is about six medium (175ml) glasses of 13% wine, or six pints of 4% beer. If you have a glass of wine most evenings, you're likely to be over the guideline before the weekend is counted.
Why spreading it out matters
Saving your units for one or two big nights isn't the same as drinking them across the week. Drinking more than 8 units in a session for men, or 6 for women, counts as binge drinking, and the short-term risks rise quickly at that level. (Drinkaware)
A limit, not a target
The guidance is clear that drinking any amount regularly carries some risk, so 14 units is a ceiling for keeping risk low rather than an allowance to use up. For most people cutting back, the easiest place to start is the midweek drinks they didn't really plan. See What is an alcohol unit?