Kamis, 31 Mei 2012

Don't drink more than quarter of a pint a DAY: Oxford study claims slashing the official alcohol limit would save 4,500 lives a year

Don't drink more than quarter of a pint a DAY: Oxford study claims slashing the official alcohol limit would save 4,500 lives a year

  • Guidance would see recommended consumption cut to half a unit a day
  • Findings could influence first review of drinking advice for 15 years

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 17:30 EST, 30 May 2012 | UPDATED: 09:12 EST, 31 May 2012


Britons should drink no more than a quarter of a pint of beer a day, scientists have said.

More than 4,500 lives could be saved annually by changing official advice on ‘safe’ levels of alcohol intake, they believe.

It would mean recommended consumption â€" for men and women â€" would be cut to half a unit a day, the equivalent of just a couple of gulps of beer or three glasses of wine each week.

Guidance: Experts say 'safe' drinking levels are three to four units a day for men, or two to three for women

Guidance: Experts say 'safe' drinking levels are three to four units a day for men, or two to three for women

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The new advice flies in the face of previous studies, which have shown that drinking alcohol in moderation reduces the risk of dying from heart disease.

But the researchers, from Oxford University, say this benefit is far outweighed by the harm to health caused by regular drinking. 

Cutting consumption could stem the epidemic of alcohol-related chronic diseases set to cause 210,000 deaths during the next 20 years. Currently, the Department of Health says ‘safe’ drinking levels are three to four units a day for men, or two to three for women.

A small glass of wine contains 1.3 units, while a pint of beer contains at least two units.

But the new study says the ideal intake to prevent chronic disease is five grams a day â€" around half a unit. This is less than half a small glass of wine and just a quarter of a pint of beer.

The findings could influence the first review of drinking advice for 15 years, amid concern the existing limit wrongly implies that daily drinking is healthy.

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The review was prompted by a report earlier this year from the Commons Science and Technology Committee, which said advice on safe drinking was confusing. It suggested new guidelines could tell people to observe two teetotal days a week.

For the new study, scientists led by Dr Melanie Nichols, of the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University, analysed the death toll of 11 conditions known to be linked to long-term alcohol consumption.

They included heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, epilepsy and five different cancers.

The team used data from large-scale studies on drinking and chronic disease risk, combined with estimates of weekly alcohol consumption among 15,000 adults in England from the 2006 General Household Survey. Just under a third of the adults were non-drinkers.

Their results, published in online journal BMJ Open, showed that cutting alcohol intake to half a unit a day would avert 4,579 premature deaths in England each year.

This amounts to three in 100 of all deaths from the 11 conditions studied.

Regarding the positive effects of alcohol on protecting against heart disease, the researchers pointed out that cutting consumption would lead to 843 extra deaths per year.

But this would be offset by a reduction of deaths including more than 2,600 from cancers and almost 3,000 from liver cirrhosis.

Dr Nichols said: ‘When all of the chronic disease risks are balanced against each other, the optimal consumption level is much lower than many people believe.

the safe levels.jpg

‘More than 4,000 deaths from cancer, heart disease, stroke and liver disease in England could be prevented if drinkers reduced their average level of alcohol consumption to half a unit per person per day â€" a level much lower than current UK government recommendations.’

Earlier this year alcohol specialists Professor Ian Gilmore and Dr Nick Sheron calculated that drinking would cause 210,000 deaths in the next 20 years through illness, violence and accidents.

Figures show alcohol-related injuries and illness cost the NHS in England £3.3billion a year.

Eric Appleby, of the charity Alcohol Concern, said current guidelines were already confusing â€" and telling people to drink very small quantities on a daily basis was no less confusing.

He said: ‘We need to make sure [guidelines] are an easy-to-understand way of watching what you drink that’s practical for people to apply to their everyday lives.’

A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'The Chief Medical Officer is reviewing current alcohol consumption guidelines.

'She will review the evidence on alcohol and health risks including whether advice is needed on the maximum amount of alcohol that can be drunk in one session.'

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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But us Brits need alcohol. How are we meant to have a good time sober? it's impossible due to our high levels of self awareness and not to mention our lack of interpersonal skills. Alcohol helps that. Surely some scientists can fudge the figures and tell us alcohol does no harm. Go on, do it for the kids.

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So much for your social life then - good luck with this!!

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This comments section has gone a little quiet now? Why's that? Oh of course, its 10pm now. All the 'moderate' drinkers are now too plastered to even see their screen now let alone type anything. Night night all, sweet drunken dreams.

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I can just see my Landlord's face, and his reaction, when I order a 1/4 of a pint? If this ''idea'' ever becomes a law, how will the beer, and other drinks be canned or bottled etc.?

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Dare I suggest that alcohol has been force fed upon us now for far too long by the dark overlords of the western world to subdue and control us. May I suggest that elements of the more globally aware media have finally realised what a drink sodden nation we have become and in their sympathy have decided to do something about it. Perhaps now we won't be too drunk to notice our nation being taken over by teetotallers from distant lands. I would go as far as to welcome teetotallers from distant lands if they can guarantee to eradicate this poisonous toxic liquid drug that has been virtually force fed to me since childhood by close friends and family in the name of 'fun', 'relaxing', and 'socialising'.

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My mate's mother has been drinking at least half a bottle of whiskey every day for the last 40 odd years and she is a spritely 92 year old. Ironically, her husband was teetotal all his life and died of liver disease at 70. Everyone's biology is different, which makes these studies pointless in my opinion.

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If they are right, the good news is the French and the Germans drink masses of the stuff.

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Oh ... Get Lost!!

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Well - they do seem concerned about our health don't they. Pity they don't show the same concern about poisoning our water with "fluoride", our food with chemical preservatives and processes; our crops with pesticides and our health with ever more poison pills. If governments can get it so badly wrong in everything else then why on earth should I trust these new alcohol drinking guides? Seems more like Government backed "science" attempts to demonise and control us rather than in any spirit (forgive the pun) of sincere concern for our health.

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1/4 of a pint a day! 5 a day for fruit and veg. 20 minutes exercise twice a week. "Advice" on red meat, sugar, coffee etc etc etc. Just WHAT, exactly, is the reasoning for all of this? I know the medical profession are very keen on "evidence based practice" these days so - give us some evidence. I also know that another of the profession's mantras is "treating each patient as an individual". Well, Dr Knowall, doesn't each "individual" patient have their own tolerance level? Couldn't, just possibly, each of us cope with different amounts of alcohol? Chief Medical Officer - why don't you go on strike like the rest of your noble colleagues (yeah, very "patient centred care") and give us mere mortals a break? We're under enough stress these days as it is - and you know how bad THAT is for us!

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