The late comedian Henny Youngman once quipped: "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."

Yes, alcohol is in the news again. We’re all drinking too much without realising it, so much so that three-quarters of us who enjoy a tipple don’t know that a typical glass of wine contains three units of alcohol.

A survey of 1,429 drinkers in England found more than a third did not know their recommended daily limit, which is 2-3 units for women and 3-4 for men.

I didn’t know that. Did you? I do know that I enjoy a glass of wine most evenings. And I also know that the glass I lovingly pour my latest little Australian Shiraz into is bigger than the type I used say four or five years ago. So, blame the glass manufacturers! Aren’t they in league with the wine merchants to make me drink more?

I, like many wine drinkers (including my mother-in-law who calls bar’s open on the dot of 6 o’clock every day) don’t regard myself as a heavy drinker. I’m never drunk, rarely tipsy in fact. But I do enjoy a drink most evenings, even if it’s just one moderate glassful (what is moderate? I hear you ask). I don’t hanker for a drink in the morning; wouldn’t thank you for one at lunchtime (except perhaps on holiday) and I don’t panic if my wine stocks are depleted - I might just do without … a little grudgingly perhaps.

But when I do drink, do I consume more than is good for me? Hand on heart, I think I do. Am I worried? Well, I am sufficiently concerned to at least stand back and consider my drinking habits.

Like lots of women, I view the evening drink as a kind of reward for getting through the day without too much mishap. I’ve walked the dogs, done a full day’s work, cobbled a healthy sort of meal together (the sign on my kitchen cupboard reads: If you can’t smell burning, it’s salad today), paid another bill, hung two washing loads out, ironed another half dozen school blouses, and remembered to collect the middle one’s inhaler from the pharmacy even though he stupidly persists with smoking but insists on eating only healthy food, which defies all logic. But that’s another story.

So what now? When I look around and see how binge drinking affects young people I could quite easily dismiss my habit as totally irrelevant. I don’t become aggressive with my children; I don’t take a hammer to a stranger’s car or throw myself at the window cleaner when he puts in a rare appearance. My drinking habits don’t affect anyone – except me. And that’s the problem. It seems that my generous nightly gift to myself is increasing my risk of heart disease, liver disease, stroke and breast cancer.

I like a drink, but not enough to die for. At the age of 40:10 (we don’t mention the F word in our house), with a husband who works away a lot and two hormonal teenagers, I need to keep body and soul in good working order. Tonight and for most of this week, the bottle of red wine will stay behind closed doors.

And if you know where I can buy half a dozen matching wine glasses that don’t look like goldfish bowls, please get in touch. Cheers.

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit