The latest public health advice for alcohol: Don’t drink at all

Nearly a dozen countries had lower recommended limits for both men and women when it came to “minimum risk” drinking guidelines: Australia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United States.

“Any amount of drinking is associated with increased risk of a number of diseases; the often-reported protective effects will not apply to the majority of people and where they do apply, they refer to very low levels of drinking”, said Matt Field, from the University of Liverpool. At higher levels, there is an increased danger of developing bowel and liver cancer.

So today, iomtoday is opening the issue up for discussion in relation to your drinking habits, whether you think the island has any particular problem with alcohol use and if the new guidelines will alter your comsumption habits. According to the BBC, chief medical officers in the United Kingdom have reported that the consumption of any amount of alcohol can increase the risk of having cancer. A good way to reduce alcohol intake is to have several alcohol free days a week. The earlier guidelines recommended a maximum intake of three to four units a day for men, and two to three for women.

Following an expert review of the scientific evidence, Scotland’s CMO Dr Catherine Calderwood has joined with her counterparts across the United Kingdom to advise if people do drink as much as 14 units in a week it should be spread evenly over three days or more, with days of no alcohol whatsoever.

“By the Government’s own admission, drinking at regular levels is no more unsafe than a host of everyday activities”. A caveat in the previous guidelines which suggested that, if pregnant women chose to drink, they should limit themselves to no more than 1 or 2 units once or twice per week, and should not get drunk, has been removed as a precaution.

People shouldn’t “save up” their units and consume them all in one or two goes. This technically meant that men could consume around 28 units a week; although the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) recommended no more than 21 units should be drunk over seven days.

“While it is possible for most people to drink at low risk, equally most people can lower their long-term health risks further by drinking less than the guidelines or not at all”.

Pregnant women are being told to abstain from drinking completely as a precautionary measure. When drinking on a single occasion, the officers say people should limit the amount of alcohol they drink on any occasion.