No ‘safe’ level of alcohol consumption: guidelines

New guidelines issued by the Department of Health have set lower limits for the consumption of alcohol after research found that any level of drinking raises the risk of disease, including mouth, throat and breast cancers.

The report also lays out the evidence that alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer.

Men: The recommended amount of units that a man is advised to consume has gone down from 21 to 14.

For those who do drink up to 14 units a week, the new advice says people should spread their drinking across three days or more. People should also not “save up” their units and drink them all in one or two goes, according to the guidelines. This change is thought to move people away from the idea that drinking every day is fine, says BBC.

And if you were holding onto that whole thing about drinking small amounts can help lower risk for heart disease – sorry – but the new guidelines say that’s no longer the case for men.

“It is interesting to note that this is the first time the recommended low-risk level is the same for both men and women”.

The guidance aims to provide the public with up-to-date scientific information so they can make informed decision about their alcohol consumption and the risk level they are willing to take.

Recommended drinking limits for British men have been sharply reduced, prompting health campaigners in Ireland to demand a similar reduction.

The last official health guidelines on drinking alcohol were published in 1995.

Having one to two heavy drinking sessions each week increases the risk of death from long-term illnesses, as well as accidents and injuries.

‘It also means that United Kingdom men are now being advised to drink significantly less than their European counterparts’.

If you feel like you had one too many drinks over the winter holiday season – you probably did.

The UK medical chiefs said that this update has been based on evidence from all over the world.

“This is not a crackdown on alcohol”, said Dr. Niamh Fitzgerald, a lecturer in alcohol studies at the University of Stirling, who was not involved in drafting the government guidelines.

Dame Sally Davies told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “There’s an old wives’ tale that we were all brought up on – that a glass of red wine protected the heart”.

Meanwhile, the Society for Independent Brewers (SIBA) said that benefits on wellbeing and happiness which stem from the “responsible enjoyment of alcohol in a sociable environment such as a pub, have been ignored”. What is being lost here is the fact that low levels of drinking remain very low risk.