What Is A Standard Drink?

Used in 2 entries

For each citing entry, the verbatim excerpt and Likelier's calculation notes (how the source's number was converted to the lifetime-probability framing) are shown below. Click through to read the full claim ledger.

1. [1] NA beer while pregnant Risk

   Statistic

   A US standard drink contains 14 grams (about 0.6 fluid ounces) of pure ethanol, the amount in 12 oz of regular 5% ABV beer

   “"In the United States, one 'standard' drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent) contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol."”

   Calculation notes

   Anchors the dose comparison. A US standard drink = 14 g ethanol (NIAAA). At the 0.5% ABV legal ceiling for the non-alcoholic class, a 12 fl oz (355 mL) serving holds 355 × 0.005 = 1.775 mL ethanol × 0.789 g/mL density = 1.40 g ethanol. 1.40 / 14 = 0.10, so one ceiling-strength non-alcoholic beer ≈ one tenth of a standard drink; it would take about ten to equal one regular drink. Many non-alcoholic beers sit well below the 0.5% ceiling, delivering proportionally less. "Up to ~1.4 g, often less" is the honest phrasing.
   

   Source date: 2023-01-01 · Accessed: 2026-08-01

2. [2] 0.0% beer while pregnant Risk

   Statistic

   A US standard drink contains 14 grams (about 0.6 fluid ounces) of pure ethanol, the amount in 12 oz of regular 5% ABV beer

   “"In the United States, one 'standard' drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent) contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol."”

   Calculation notes

   The 14 g standard-drink anchor used for every dose translation in this entry (0.385% → ~1.08 g ≈ 1/13; 0.009% → ~0.025 g ≈ 1/560; 1% → ~2.8 g ≈ 1/5). Density of ethanol 0.789 g/mL; 12 fl oz = 355 mL. A genuine 0.0% product contributes 0 g and thus no term in this arithmetic — the whole reason the entry is about verification rather than dose.
   

   Source date: 2023-01-01 · Accessed: 2026-08-01

Also cited in these entries

HealthDirect

NA beer while pregnant

What are the odds that a non-alcoholic beer (under 0.5%, not zero) harms a baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

HealthDirect

0.0% beer while pregnant

Is a "0.0%" (alcohol-free) beer truly zero alcohol, and safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?