No safe limit under new alcohol guidelines

The government has said that there is now no safe limit for the consumption of alcohol.

In a series of tough new guidelines issued this week, the UK’s chief medical officers have cut recommended drinking limits and warned that the latest research now indicates that any amount of alcohol can increase the risk of cancer.

Men and women who drink regularly are now being advised to take no more than 14 units of alcohol a week – that’s about six pints of beer or seven glasses of wine.

And pregnant women are being told not to drink at all, which differs from previous advice which said that they shouldn’t drink, but if they did, then consumption should be limited.

The guidance also warns drinkers that their consumption of alcohol should take place over three or four days, with some alcohol-free days included and that they shouldn’t save their permitted units with a view to drinking them all at once.

This is the first full review of alcohol guidelines since 1995. Previous guidance set out daily drinking limits of three to four units for men and two or three for women. The new advice moves to weekly limits in order to get away from the notion that drinking every day is acceptable.

The new limits also don’t differentiate between men and women and they make it clear that there are no safe drinking limits, although there is an indication that for women over the age of 55, there may be some benefit to their hearts in drinking up to five units each week.

There is no longer any support for the suggestion that low-level drinking can protect men from heart disease.

The new advice also refers to evidence which shows that alcohol can increase the risks of cancer in the mouth, throat and breast. The threat increases with any amount you drink on a regular basis.

How many units of alcohol are in a drink?

Single shot of spirits (25ml) – one unit

Standard glass of wine (175ml) – 2.1 units

Large glass of wine (250ml) – three units

Pint of four per cent beer – 2.3 units

Pint of five per cent beer – 2.8 units

Pint of strong cider (eight per cent) – 4.5 units.