MANY young people underestimate how much alcohol they drink even if they have some knowledge of guidelines on sensible consumption, a study says.

The University of Sussex researchers said their results suggested young people do not have the knowledge or skills to keep their drinking within the set guidelines.

The 18 to 25-year-olds who took part in the study, published yesterday, were asked to pour their usual measure of wine, beer or vodka followed by what unit they believed it to be.

Nearly two-thirds underestimated the unit content of the drinks poured.