New guidelines following a review by experts have been published today. The previous guidelines came out in 1995 and the links between alcohol and cancer and heart disease were not as well understood then as they are now.

The headline message is

There no such things as a safe level of alcohol consumption

The Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for both men and women is that:

• You are safest not to drink regularly more than 14 units per week, to keep health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level.

• If you do drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread this evenly over 3 days or more. If you have one or two heavy drinking sessions, you increase your risks of death from long term illnesses and from accidents and injuries.

• The risk of developing a range of illnesses (including, for example, cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases with any amount you drink on a regular basis.

• If you wish to cut down the amount you’re drinking, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days each week.

Read the BBC news article here

Do you drink more than you think? Find out more here