New alcohol guidelines issued to reflect cancer risk of drinking

New guidelines for alcohol consumption have been issued by the Department of Health to provide updated advice on safe limits for men and pregnant women.

Produced by the UK Chief Medical Officers, the guidance warns that drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of a range of cancers, as supported by a new review from the Committee on Carcinogenicity.

It was also established that the benefits of alcohol for heart health only apply for women aged 55 and over, and apply when women limit their intake to around five units a week. As such, it was concluded that there is no justification for drinking for health reasons.

The guidance recommends that men should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol each week, down from 21 – bringing it down to the same level as for women – while cautioning that this intake should be spread evenly, rather than concentrated in binges.

Finally, the guidelines for pregnant women have been updated to clarify that no level of alcohol is safe to drink in pregnancy.

Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, said: "What we are aiming to do with these guidelines is give the public the latest and most up-to-date scientific information, so that they can make informed decisions about their own drinking."