safe level of alcohol consumption depends on many factors and varies from person to person.  Alcohol can interact with many prescription medications. As a general rule people should limit themselves to 1 or 1.5 drinks a day, where one drink is equivalent to one standard glass of wine, one beer or one mixed drink with one ounce of alcohol. As one ages, alcohol can have many negative effects on memory, balance, sleep quality, energy levels and sexual function.  Just two standard drinks can impair your driving ability and put you over the legal limit of 0.08.