A standard glass refers to the quantity of beer, wine or schnapps normally served in a restaurant.
Keystone
Men should drink no more than two glasses of alcoholic beverages a day, women no more than one to keep their health risks low, the new government guidelines have recommended.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/ln
The Federal Commission on Alcohol Issues (EKALExternal link) has revised its recommendations for low-risk alcohol consumption.
The new guidelines, published on Tuesday, replace the recommendations released in 2015.
The commission had heard enough new scientific evidence to update its advice and to lower its recommended low-risk drinking limit.
According to the recommendations, healthy men should drink no more than two standard glasses of alcohol per day, women one at most.
In 2015, the advice was that men could drink three glasses per day with minimal risk.
A standard glass refers to the quantity of beer, wine or schnapps normally served in a restaurant.
Such a standard serving would usually contain between 10 and 12 grams of pure alcohol, EKAL wrote in its report.
The experts also suggest having at least two or more alcohol-free days every week.
Alcohol consumption should be adapted to one’s physical and mental health.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women and those planning to have a baby were advised to abstain from drinking completely.
The same abstinence advice goes for young people under the age of sixteen.
Alcohol, from the first glass, lowers people’s power of perception and reaction time.
In Switzerland, some 4% of people over the age of fifteen regularly drink in excess, according to figures by the Federal Office of Public Health.
Every fifth person in Switzerland engages in particularly risky binge drinking, categorised as the consumption of at least five (for men) or four (for women) alcoholic beverages within the space of a few hours.
The Federal Commission on Alcohol Issues advises the Swiss government on questions related to the direct and indirect effects of alcohol consumption.
More
More
The Swiss are drinking more wine, much of it produced at home
Two decades after tsunami, Swiss tourists flock to Southeast Asia
This content was published on
Twenty years after a catastrophic tsunami in Southeast Asia, the region is again a top destination for Swiss, including at Christmas.
Swiss forests better equipped for storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years after Hurricane Lothar wreaked havoc in Switzerland, the country’s forests are now better prepared, experts say.
Media: Swiss medical services done abroad are billed at Swiss rates
This content was published on
In Switzerland, some medical services carried out abroad are still billed at Swiss rates, despite costing less, RTS reports.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
Swiss brewery defends choice of Nepalese monarch on beer bottle
This content was published on
A brewery in Zurich had no idea that choosing a former Nepalese king to grace a seasonal beer would cause a diplomatic row.
This content was published on
The amount of beer consumed in Switzerland declined last year, as it did for wine. Yet the number of specialist microbreweries continues to rise.
This content was published on
The average Swiss drank 7.9 litres of pure alcohol last year, down from 8.1 litres in 2014 and 2015. That’s the lowest figure in over 70 years.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.