The new guidelines advise men and women to take no more than 4 units of alcohol per week, which is equivalent to six pints of average strength beer or even glasses of wine.
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In the first overhaul of alcohol guidelines for two decades, doctors will reportedly warn that there is no “safe” level of alcohol consumption and drinking just a small amount may in fact increase the risk of some cancers.
The guidelines say: “There is no justification for recommending drinking on health grounds – nor for starting drinking for health reasons”. The previous guidelines-issued in 1995-had recommended 21 units for men and 14 for women, and had no recommendation for avoiding alcohol.
It has also mentioned that even if people drink, they should indulge into moderate drinking only over three or more days. While that doesn’t change anything for women, past recommendations had set limits for men at about nine glasses of wine or beer a week.
On drinking in pregnancy:• If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all, to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.
“Drinking any level of alcohol regularly” can up risk of cancer and other diseases, Britons are told.
Speaking about the cancer risks, she said: “There is no doubt that the more we drink, the bigger our risks”.
“When it comes to things like heart disease and some other conditions, there’s a question about a protection factor in lower levels of consumption”.
For women, the guidelines remain unchanged, recommending no more than 14 units a week.
“Drinking levels in the United Kingdom are nearly double what they were in 1960, so it’s vital we invest in national health campaigns to provide people with clear information about the health risks of drinking alcohol, particularly at levels above these new guidelines”.
One of the key changes in the guidelines is in relation to alcohol and pregnancy. While the absolute risks may be small, the general agreement is that there is no longer a “safe” drinking limit for alcohol. People who have more than about four drinks daily run up to triple the risk of contracting cancers of the head and neck than non-drinkers.
“The risk of getting cancer increases the more alcohol a person drinks”, said Mark Petticrew, professor of public health evaluation at the London School of Hygiene, who co-headed a committee looking into the subject. That amount of alcohol is best spread out three or more days – and to take several days off per week, they claimed.
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Breast Cancer Now said the new guidelines would help reduce cancer among women.
