UK medical officers have released new alcohol guidelines that are far more strict on the nation’s recommended weekly intake than ever before, insisting that there is no safe level of drinking.
The new government guidance has seen men’s recommended alcohol intake now being lowered to match that of women’s for the first time ever, with both men and women now both being advised to consume no more than 14 units per week which, according to The Guardian, is equivalent to “a little more than nine small 125ml glasses of wine, 14 single measures of spirits or seven pints of lager or beer.”
While this means that the recommended units for women remains unchanged, it has seen the addition of updated guidelines for pregnant women, who are now being informed that no level of alcohol consumption is considered safe for them. Although the guidelines had previously advised pregnant women to avoid alcohol, they did suggest that two units consumed once or twice per week was still acceptable.
The new guidelines are the first to be released by the UK’s chief medical officers in 20 years, which along with additional warnings that alcohol consumption leads to an increase in the risk of developing various cancers, specifically breast cancer. Cancer Research UK has branded the changes “welcome” ones, adding: “It aims to prevent a broad range of diseases, as well as injuries and accidents. But it’s also influenced by the considerable evidence that has emerged showing that even low level drinking can increase the risk of some cancers, and that this risk increases the more alcohol people drink.
“The changes are also down to a weakening of the evidence that there are health benefits to drinking alcohol – so the new version is about minimising harms, rather than considering them in addition to benefits.”
Though the guidelines are not enforceable by law, they do give doctors new evidence to draw upon when evaluating patients’ alcohol intake, and also seek to dissuade UK citizens from binge-drinking.
