How strong is that pina colada? Depending on how it's made, it could contain as much alcohol as two glasses of wine. The National Institutes of Health is trying to spread the word: Take a look at its online alcohol calculator to see how much you're really drinking with those summer cocktails. A "standard drink" is the amount of alcohol in a 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits. But the multiple ingredients of mixed drinks make for a harder count.
Beyond beverage choice, Dr. George Koob, director of the NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, has some tips for summer: Heat increases thirst but alcohol is a diuretic, so pace yourself — no more than one standard drink an hour — and stay hydrated by alternating some water or club soda with the alcohol. And alcohol doesn't mix with boating, swimming or diving in addition to driving, Koob warns.
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-The Associated Press