The Standard Drink in México

15 T he S tandard D rink in M exico | I ntroduction of estimating actual alcohol consumption, whether from survey or sales data, the critical issue is whether the standard drinks employed by either health educators or researchers relate to actual drinking behaviour. Turner’s study (1990) revealed great variation in estimates of standard drink sizes both within and between countries. It cannot be assumed that definitions of standard drinks used in health education campaigns are accurate reflections of what people actually drink.” This shows us the necessity and the convenience of reaching an official consensus in the value of a Standard Drink within our country. As Sabines Torres mentions (in: CIJ 2010): “The use of standard drinks simplifies evaluating alcohol intake and can be adopted in a systematic fashion in primary attention health centers. However, since there are differences among countries, each country should determine the alcohol content in a standard drink not only by consensus, but by means of scientific studies (PAHO 2008).” We will see throughout this text, some of the many applications that the Standard Drink can have not only for alcohol-related research, but also in preventing its harmful use. Its formalization can bring benefits to the population in the sense that it can help promote a cultural shift toward the responsibility in consumption. Thus, making this knowledge is a key protective factor that avoids risky consumption for healthy adult men and