The amount of alcohol consumed by an adult should be restricted to 14 units a week, according to new guidelines from the Chief Medical Officers of the United Kingdom nations.
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Mark Petticrew, professor of public health evaluation at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who co-chaired the review, says in a statement: “This new guidance has been based on a wide range of new evidence from this country and overseas”.
The last official United Kingdom guidelines on drinking were published in 1995 and much has changed since then. “It’s a pity the guidelines didn’t take the jump and move away from this very confusing concept to grams of alcohol”, says Anderson.
On the assumption that most people will not go tee-total, the review also cut its guidance on the maximum amount people should drink in a week, to 14 units. There is also the risk that women underestimate how much they are actually drinking, thereby increasing the risks for their unborn child.
He said: “Strengthening medical evidence of the link between low levels of alcohol consumption and cancer, as well as weakening evidence to suggest any protective elements from alcohol consumption, reinforces the fact that drinking should not be recommended for health reasons”. Given the significant progress made voluntarily through the Responsibility Deal, we are disappointed that the industry has not been involved.
Alcohol is one of Britain’s biggest health problems, with binge drinking being a prime cause of anti-social behavior in towns and cities across the country and putting further strain on NHS resources.
This means that you would be at lower risk of getting illnesses such as liver disease or cancer. In a departure from previous advice, the government said there is no “safe” level of alcohol for pregnant women.
People are also being advised to have several booze-free days a week and not to “save up” their 14 units for a binge-drinking session.
She added: “I’m also pleased that the other United Kingdom nations have followed Scotland’s precautionary approach in advising women that it is safest not to drink at all during pregnancy, meaning we have harmonised advice to mums-to-be across the UK”.
Dr Niamh Fitzgerald, who is a lecturer in alcohol studies at the University of Stirling, said: “The objective of these new guidelines is to provide the public with the latest accurate information on how they can reduce health risks from alcohol, if they choose to drink”. Pregnant women should not drink at all. The recommended units for women have not changed and remain at 14.
Previously, daily drinking limits for men were three to four units – between 21 and 24 units per week.
Drinking at the recommended limit would result in people having a 1 in 100 chance of dying from an alcohol-related condition over their lifetime, a level of risk that the report says is comparable to risks from other regular or routine activities, such as driving.
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“So should we feel ok about risks of this level? 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”.
