The rum ration was only an eighth of a pint from 1850. Between 1824 and 1850, it was a quarter-pint, and before 1824, it was a full half pint. The pre-1825 ration was typically served in two quarter-pint portions, one in the morning and one in the mid-afternoon. Discussions of the strength of the rum ration tend to focus on this pre-1825 period. Half a pint of rum a day, even at 40%, greatly exceeds even the most optimistic health guidelines. Even the ration in effect from 1850 exceeded the guidelines. Remember that it was served daily, rather than weekly. The tot was abolished in 1970, due to concerns about drunkenness amongst sailors working with delicate or dangerous machinery. While the rum ration was supposed to be drunk by the individual to which it was issued, it was common for ratings to exchange 'sippers' or 'gulpers' for favours or to give them to others on special occasions. In the years after 1945, sailors were also allowed to purchase two cans of beer per day. These two combined to mean that a sailor could become dangerously drunk while at sea.