What Matters Is How Much Of Alcohol Is Consumed And Not What Type Of Alcohol Is Consumed

There is a general myth among many consumers that distilled spirits are ‘stronger’ than beer or wine regardless of the quantity consumed. But the reality is different.

Nita Kapoor, CEO, International Spirits & Wines Association of India (ISWAI) put light on a common misconception among many consumers that distilled spirits are inherently 'stronger' than beer or wine, regardless of the quantity consumed. The views expressed are personal.

First of all, we need to understand that any alcohol is alcohol having the same chemical. Beer, wines, distilled spirits, etc all contain the same type of alcohol ingredient, called ethanol, which is responsible for the effects one feels regardless of what is consumed. Hence, the alcohol in all drinks containing alcohol is the same, having the same effect on the body.

What is important is how much ethanol, the key ingredient, a person is drinking and how often. A breathalyser, for example, does not distinguish the type of beverage a person has drunk when it reads blood alcohol concentration levels.

The misperception that the standard serving of beer, RTDs (Ready to Drink) or wine has less alcohol than distilled spirits comes from the fact that they have a lower ‘alcohol content’ or alcohol by volume (ABV) listed on the containers in which they are sold.

ABV is a measure of how much alcohol is contained as a percentage of the whole container. The alcohol in a bottle of beer, wine or RTD is more diluted than it is in a bottle of spirits. However, standard serve sizes always contain the same amount of alcohol, which takes into account the ABV. The number of standard serves in a bottle of beer, wine and distilled spirits will differ.

What Matters Is How Much Of Alcohol Is Consumed And Not What Type Of Alcohol Is Consumed. Over 30 countries have moderate or low-risk drinking guidelines.

Such guidelines recognise that alcohol is alcohol and make no distinction between alcohol consumed as beer, wine or distilled spirits; rather they reference standard serving of alcohol or standard units. Standard serving sizes vary between different countries, but the most typical standard serving is defined as 10g of alcohol. Using the 10g definition of a standard serve, a 99ml glass of wine at 13% ABV, a 30ml measure of spirits at 42.8% ABV, or a 257ml glass of beer at 5% ABV all contain the same amount of alcohol. So what matters is how much alcohol is consumed and not what type of alcohol is consumed.

Any taxation of alcoholic beverages should be part of a comprehensive fiscal and regulatory framework.

Taxation should be proportionate, appropriate for each local context, and consistent with World Trade Organization principles. Taxation should neither create market distortions nor exacerbate issues of harmful consumption.

The International Spirits & Wines Association of India (ISWAI), the apex body of the premium AlcoBev sector, is an active advocate of progressive policies and Responsible Drinking and promotes the principle of ‘drink less, drink better’.