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The Low Risk
When is 'drinking too much' actually too much?
When it comes to alcohol, knowing how many units are actually too many units can be confusing. Most of us know when we’ve had too much to drink, but it’s easy to keep drinking without realizing it. Often we find that we’re drinking more than we would like.
In 2016, the UK’s top doctors (The Chief Medical Officers) published new low-risk drinking guidelines to help us minimize the risks associated with drinking and make healthier choices.We should drink less than the low-risk drinking guidelines.
- It's safest not to drink too much alcohol in a week. In fact, the limit is set at 14 units. That's 6 pints or one and a half bottles of wine. It's best to spread these 14 units over three or more days and take at least two days off a week.
The low risk drinking guidelines
In the past, the guidelines were last changed in 1995. We’ve learned a lot since then. For example, we know more about how alcohol affects the body and how it increases risk of cancer and other diseases.
The main adjustments since 2016 are these 2:
The drinking guidelines have been changed from daily to weekly. Some people drink every day, some people only on the weekend, and some people only on certain days of the week. In order to simplify the message and reflect well how we really drink, it was decided that weekly stats are better suited than daily guidelines.
The new drinking guidelines are gender-neutral, meaning both men and women should consume the same amount of alcohol. This is because, while long-term health risks from drinking are generally higher for women than men, the immediate risks, such as injuries, are more serious for men.
(If you like to learn more feel free to checkout this Resource)
- Alcohol is directly linked to more than 60 medical conditions. You are at risk when you drink. Think about liver disease, multiple forms of cancer and mental health issues such as depression.
Does my drinking habit put me at risk?
We all have our own risk threshold for alcohol. The guidelines aim to help us make informed choices about our drinking. They are based on the latest scientific research into alcohol. Alcohol is a tricky substance, but a low-risk way to drink is keeping your unit count to 14 or less a week. If you consume more than 14 units, you are definitely at risk for serious health problems. But if you keep your drinking to 14 units or less, you have a low risk of harm.
A good interactive self test on your alcohol usage can be found here.
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