It aims to reduce risk of illness and lower deaths linked to drinking by setting a level that would keep deaths from cancer and other diseases low.
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“This is the first review in 20 years and much has changed in terms of what we know about the harm caused by alcohol consumption, particularly with regards to cancer and other illnesses”.
According to the UK’s Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), alcohol contributes to over 60 medical conditions, including heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
An additional recommendation is not to “save up” the recommended maximum weekly intake for one or two days, but to spread it over three or more days. But it’s also influenced by the considerable evidence that has emerged showing that even low level drinking can increase the risk of some cancers, and that this risk increases the more alcohol people drink.
The updated guidelines, issued Friday, said both men and women should restrict their alcohol intake to no more than 14 units a week, the equivalent of six pints of average-strength beer or seven 175-milliliter (6-ounce) glasses of wine.
“Enjoying a couple of beers in a pub with friends and colleagues at the end of a hard day can bring positive benefits to peoples’ lives”. Around four in 10 North Easterners are drinking at risky levels, but worryingly, awareness of the associated risks to health is still very low. At higher levels, there is an increased danger of developing bowel and liver cancer. “The change to the guidelines will turn hundreds of thousands of people into “hazardous drinkers” overnight, thereby reviving the moral panic about drinking in Britain and opening the door to yet more nanny state interventions”, he said.
Only women over the age of 55 may experience positive health effects when alcohol is drunk in small amounts, and there is no benefit to men whatsoever.
The previous advice to limit intake to 1-2 units of alcohol once or twice per week has been removed to provide greater clarity as a precaution. Those drinking no more than 14 units in a week have a low chance of alcohol-related disease, she said.
The rules also say that one should not indulge in binge drinking. An hour of TV watching a day, or a bacon sandwich a couple of times a week, is more risky to your long-term health.
Michael Ng, of Sheffield alcohol support services, said: “It’s quite a positive reaction from us”.
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Professor Petticrew said: “This new guidance has been based on a wide range of new evidence from this country and overseas”.
