This is a question that almost everyone from college students to lawyers (and everyone in between) ask themselves at some point. It is a very difficult question to answer, and honestly the answer will be different for each person and each situation. A 100 pound girl can handle much less than a 250 pound grown man. How much is okay at a bar with your friends is very different from what might be okay at your conservative grandmother’s 65 birthday party (maybe none is best). Different cultures also have varying views on alcohol. Europe tends to have a slightly gentler view of alcohol consumption than the United States. The easiest approach to answering this question for you and your life style is by examining how your life is affected by it.
Do you take unnecessary risks while drinking? For example, are you more likely to put yourself in unsafe situations while intoxicated? Having sex without protection, driving, walking home alone late at night or attempting physical feats that end up in injury. You are probably drinking too much, particularly if you are driving.
Do you often “black out” or not remember events that happen while you are drinking? Completely losing control of your self and not remembering the next day is very dangerous. While this might seem okay when you are in college and with all your friends, it is probably a good idea to cut back.
Are your school grades or career suffering? Showing up to work a little hung over and dragging through the day once in a while like after the company Christmas party is probably fine, but missing days or poor performance because you are hung over regularly is most likely and indication you should cut back.
The point here is that alcohol is not evil, and drinking is not wrong(if you are of age and do not drive, anyhow). But if you are putting things you care about at risk just to drink, you may need to reconsider how much is too much for you.