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According to new research by the government, three out of four people do not know how much alcohol it is safe to drink.

Although 82 percent of people think they know what a unit of alcohol is, the poll from YouGov found that 77 percent of those surveyed do not realise how many units are I a typical glass of wine.

Over 55 percent of those questioned think that a large glass of wine could contain two units, although it actually contains three. More than a third (35 percent) were not aware that the average pint of beer contains two units, while nearly three out of five (58 percent) didn’t know a double gin and tonic contains two units.

Today the government will launch a £10 million advertising campaign to combat alcohol abuse. In the initial phase, £6 million will be spent on helping people to “know your limits” and stay within the recommended daily limits for regular drinkers of two to three units for women and three to four units for men. The second phase will involve spending £4 million to target binge drinking in young people.

Public Health minister, Dawn Primarolo said: “Glass sizes have grown larger and the strength of many wines and beers has increased, so it’s no wonder some of us have lost track of our alcohol consumption.”

Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, said: “It is important that people are aware of how much alcohol their drinks contain, and the associated links to health harm.”

It also looks like awareness decreases with age: 32 percent of drinkers aged 18 to 24 correctly say that a large glass of wine contains three units, compared to just 18 per cent of those over 55.According to the YouGov survey, 52 percent of adult drinkers drink alcohol at least twice a week.