Know Your Standards program

Last updated:  20 May 2024

Know Your Standards is an alcohol awareness program delivered in public libraries in NSW.

The aim of the program is to provide community members with information and resources to improve their knowledge and awareness of standard drinks and the Australian Alcohol Guidelines.

Libraries can provide this information by running programs and events using the standard drinks resin kit and/or the beer goggles kit.

This page provides links and information to help you implement the Know Your Standards program in your library.

Getting started

Start by reading the Know your Standards tool kit, which provides the information you need to run the program in your library including:

  • what is a standard drink
  • the Australian Alcohol Guidelines
  • how to use the standard drinks resin kit
  • material to print or order
  • suggested activities
  • ideas for library displays.

Also available is the Know Your Limits toolkit which provides a guide to effectively incorporating Fatal Vision beer goggles into your awareness and information activities.

Resources

The following resources can be used to support and deliver your library programs, events and promotional activities.

Standard drink educational pouring and display kit

Each NSW public library service has been supplied with a standard drink educational pouring and display kit (resin kit) for use in public programs, displays and as part of the Know Your Standards program.

The kit contains:

  • 7 plastic glasses demonstrating a standard drink of different alcoholic beverages, including light beer/heavy beer, spirits, cider, wine and champagne
  • 7 x 425ml plastic glasses
  • 1 AlcoCup
  • carry bag
  • standard drinks guide card
  • interactive activity outline
Know Your Limits beer goggle kit

Know Your Limits is an alcohol education kit for use in public libraries in NSW. The aim of the kit is to provide community members with information and resources to improve their knowledge and awareness of the harms and risks associated with alcohol and the dangers of impaired driving by:

  • increasing clients’ knowledge of how motor skills, hand eye co-ordination and judgement are impaired by alcohol
  • providing clients with engaging and interactive activities to increase sustainable learning regarding alcohol. 

The Know Your Limits kit is available for loan to NSW public libraries for use in public programs, outreach activities, and library events.  The kit can be used with small or large groups.

  • Request a loan of a Know Your Limits beer goggles kit via the online form.
Literary mocktails

Drug Info's collection of literary mocktails provide a fun alternative to alcohol with book-themed recipes to suit all tastes and seasons.

  • See the Mocktails page for information about how your library can use the resources to promote healthy drinking in your community.
Big Night Out game

Big Night Out is an interactive board game that explores adolescent risk taking and party behaviour. It is an educational resource that encourages safe choices through lively discussion.

This game can be played in an individual or group setting. 

  • Request a loan of the Big Night Out game via the online form.
Standard drinks guide

A quick reference guide to the number of standard drinks in a range of alcoholic drinks. The card can be used to display in libraries or as a handout for standard drink sessions.

Australian Alcohol Guidelines

The Australian Alcohol Guidelines were released in 2020 by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). 

  • Find downloadable resources including the Guideline Recommendation Infographic and What is a Standard Drink Infographic on their Health advice - alcohol page.

Activities

Host standard drink and beer goggle activities and demonstrations at your events using the ideas below.

Standard drink activities

The standard drink educational pouring and display kit is a great way of promoting the Australian alcohol guidelines and starting a conversation about standard drinks. The kits can be used in Drug Info displays and in interactive activities such as the ideas below.

Standard group activity

Ask for seven volunteers to come and participate in the Standard Drinks Activity. Provide each volunteer with an empty cup from your kit, labelled with an alcoholic beverage. Advise volunteers to pour what they believe a standard drink is in relation to the alcoholic beverage
outlined on their empty cup. Go around the group one by one, pouring the water they have poured into the Alcocup. Compare the standard drink measurement of the Alcocup with the amount poured by the volunteer. 

Your favourite drink

Ask a volunteer to pour a typical glass of their favourite drink into a cup. You may choose to use the labelled cups provided in the resin kit, or in wine glasses and other cups you may have in your library. When they have poured their drink, pour back into an Alcocup and compare. 

Guessing game

Run a guessing game quiz. Ask people to guess the number of standard drinks contained in a range of alcoholic beverages e.g. a bottle of whisky, a shot of tequila, a cask of wine. Use empty bottles/containers or print out a page of pictures. People could note down their name and the number of standard drinks they think are on the table or sheet, with a prize going to the winner. 

Mix and match

Collect a range of empty bottles of alcohol e.g. beer, wine, champagne and spirits. Write down the number of standard drinks each bottle contains on a separate sticky note and put to one side. Cover the labels with sticky notes to hide the standard drink labels from view. Display the bottles in a row. Ask people to match the labelled sticky notes to the bottles according to the number of standard drinks they believe each one contains. Once all bottles have been matched reveal the standard drink labels to the participants to compare answers. 

Standard drink display

Set up the seven display glasses in a prominent position in your library. Print off a Standard Drinks poster to display with the glasses and make available resources such as the Know Your Standards postcards and pocket cards. If your library has a tablet display stand, set it up with the display and play the Drug Info Alcohol: Get the Facts video. 

Know your limits beer goggle activities

Beer goggles can be used in any of the activities below - or use your imagination to come up with a safe game of your own.  However you use the goggles follow these basic instructions to deliver an effective session: 

  • Gather equipment required and practice your demonstration.
  • Ask participants to perform task once without goggles.
  • Show the progression of impairment using the White and Red Label beer goggles.
  • Have the participant complete an activity with the White Label googles and then repeat using the Red Label goggles. This is a good way to show that cognitive impairment begins with the first drink and can limit a person's ability to recognise how impaired they may be.
  • Ask participants not wearing the Fatal Vision goggles to observe the actions and behaviour of the individuals who are wearing goggles.
  • After the participant has completed the activity wearing the goggles, refer to the BAC chart and relate changes in behaviour to the goggles impairment level. 
Walking

Have a participant sit in a chair, put on the Fatal Vision goggles, then stand up, and walk to another chair and sit down.  

Ball toss

Have two participants stand a couple of metres apart and toss a stress ball back and forth. 

Obstacle course

Use marker cones to designate a mini obstacle course. Ask participants to weave their way through the course wearing Fatal Vision goggles without stepping on any cones. 

Standard drink pour

Using the Know Your Standards resin kit ask participants wearing Fatal Vision goggles to pour a designated standard drink (e.g. scotch). Use an AlcoCup Standard Drinks Measure Cup to measure the number of standard drinks contained in their poured serving. 

Soccer

If trying to score a goal whilst wearing the Fatal Vision goggles participants will be required to kick the ball into the designated goal mouth. If trying to save a goal whilst wearing the Fatal Vision Beer Goggles the participant wearing the goggles will attempt to save the ball which has been kicked by another person, who is not wearing Fatal Vision goggles.

Games

Set up a table-top game such as pool, air-hockey or table tennis. Ask a group of 4 participants to play a mini game. Two of the group should wear Fatal Vision goggles and play against two participants who are not wearing goggles. After no more than five minutes ask the participants to swap and repeat the task. 

 

Looking for more ideas?

Use the Drug Info Activity Booklet for inspiration. The activity booklet features a range of suggestions for incorporating Drug Info into your library programming.

Promotional material

The following items can be use to promote your library programs, events and promotional activities.

Standard drinks pocket guide and postcard

Standard drinks cards feature illustrated standard drink measurements for light beer, full strength beer, red/white wine, champagne, spirits (shots and pre-mix) and cider (middy and bottle) as well as tips to keep safe. They are available in two sizes:

  • business card sized pocketcards
  • postcards

Pocketcards and postcards are available to order for PDHPE teachers, school libraries, public libraries and other organisations.

Literary mocktail recipe cards and posters

Literary mocktails are book-themed, alcohol-free drinks, inspired by well-known literary works. The recipe postcards contain a recipe for the mocktail on the reverse with a health message around the Australian Alcohol Guidelines and tips for reducing alcohol intake.

Recipe cards

Recipe cards are available to order for PDHPE teachers, school libraries, public libraries and other organisations.

Posters

Download and print these recipe cards and posters for your library display and/or event.

Social media

Hosting an event or activity or running a social media campaign? Please spread the word on your social media channels! 

Use Drug Info's social media kit for images and suggested text to post.

Use the following hashtags:

#KnowYourStandards 
#NSWPublicLibraries 
#DrugInfoLibsNSW

Feedback

If you run a Know your Standards event or program in your library, we'd love to hear about it. 

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