Two cans of lager for a man, or two standard glasses of wine for a
woman, might not sound excessive – but regularly consuming any more than
this means you’re flouting official alcohol guidelines and, yes,
possibly damaging your health.

New research has found that many Britons disregard the guidelines, and
often because they don’t believe they’re relevant to them as they don’t
drink every day, but may drink heavily at weekends.

The findings – from the universities of Stirling and Sheffield for the
UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS) – have revealed that
the guidelines are widely ignored for this reason.

The research has also highlighted how many people think the recommended
number of units allowed (UK guidance suggests men shouldn’t regularly
exceed three to four units a day, which is equivalent to two cans of
regular strength lager; one can is 1.8 units, and women shouldn’t
regularly drink more than two to three units daily, equivalent to one
175ml glass of wine; 2.3 units) are unrealistic, as they don’t recognise
that many people drink to get drunk.

TIGHT FOR A REASON

While the guidelines might seem stingy, they exist for a reason, as
evidence suggests that keeping within these limits means the risk of
developing health problems associated with alcohol will be low.

According to experts, people who often drink just above the suggested
amount increase their risk of ill-health significantly. For example,
some say regularly drinking two large glasses of wine or two pints of
strong lager a day could make you three times as likely to get mouth
cancer, while regularly drinking just above the guidelines increases the
risk of breast cancer by around 20%, and the risk of liver cirrhosis
becomes 1.7 times higher.

Despite findings like these, there seems to be a disconnect between the
general public and the health risks.

“People are sceptical about Government health advice, and the
guidelines, as they’re currently structured, don’t really speak to
people’s drinking habits,” says Linda Bould, a professor of health
policy at the University of Stirling. “It’s not so much that people
think alcohol’s not a problem – around 80% of people in one survey we
did, recognised that the UK has a problem with alcohol. But when they
think about themselves, they don’t necessarily see a problem.

“The guidelines are useful for giving people some indication of where
risk starts. Also, some people really aren’t interested in longer-term
health risks,” adds Bould, who suggests that highlighting the more
immediate risks of drinking too much, like accidents and injury, could
be more effective.

SAVING UNITS FOR THE WEEKEND

The study found that p eople do regulate their drinking – but this is
usually because of practical issues, such as needing to go to work or
having childcare responsibilities, rather than health concerns or
following guidance.

Bould, who is also Cancer Research UK’s cancer prevention champion,
notes that many people think they can save their units for the weekend,
but she stresses: “I know that’s wrong.

“If you look at breast cancer, the risk from alcohol consumption starts
at a very low level. So a woman who’s drinking a bottle of wine on a
Saturday night is at higher risk than a woman who doesn’t drink at all.”

She suggests that drinking half a bottle of wine a night for some women
has been normalised in the UK, despite the fact many studies have shown
such amounts are damaging,

” I don’t think people really believe it,” she says. “People’s
understanding of the risk factors of drinking alcohol and getting cancer
are very low – most people don’t think alcohol causes cancer.”

The risks aren’t the same across all diseases, of course. Where heart
disease is concerned, studies suggest there’s no significant difference
in risk levels between drinking a bottle of wine at the weekend and
drinking a few units throughout the week.

“I suppose it depends which condition you’re concerned about,” says
Bould. “But if a woman’s drinking two bottles of wine over the weekend,
for example, she’s putting herself at higher risk of a pretty
significant range of health conditions.”

FLEXIBLE APPROACH

The UKCTAS study found many Brits think Australian and Canadian alcohol
guidelines, which include separate advice for regular and single
occasion drinkers, are more relevant and flexible.

In the Australian guidelines, the single occasion limits suggest
drinking no more than four standard drinks on one occasion reduces the
risk of alcohol-related injury. The daily guidance, meanwhile, is to
drink no more than two standard drinks a day, for men and women.

The Department of Health says the UK’s alcohol guidance is currently
under review, and there’ll be consultations later this year.

“I think you’ve got to be realistic, certainly in relation to the health
harms of alcohol,” says Bould. “In the revised guidelines, which we may
see early next year, I think we’ll see a higher unit recommendation over
the week – a weekly limit, which is what Australia and Canada have.”

Emily Robinson, deputy chief executive of Alcohol Concern, agrees that
many people find the current alcohol guidelines confusing.

“People often see the guidelines as an allowance on what they can drink
in a week, when the point is to highlight how it doesn’t take much
alcohol to lead to a risk of developing health problems.”

TAKE A BREAK

Rather than focusing on what people can drink, Alcohol Concern suggests
there should be more emphasis on taking a break from alcohol, and having
at least two or three alcohol-free days a week.

The charity also wants health warnings on alcohol, as is standard in
other countries.

Robinson points out that because alcohol impairs judgement and
responses, drinkers are also more at risk of having an accident, being
assaulted or doing something they’ll regret. And such problems are more
likely after binge-drinking, which is officially classed as more than
eight units of alcohol (or three pints of strong beer) for a man, or
more than six units (or two large glasses of wine) for a woman.

“There is no ‘safe’ level of alcohol consumption,” stresses Robinson.
“The guidelines are a suggested maximum for the public and drinking too
much, too often, can cause all sorts of health problems, mentally and
physically.”

ALCOHOL HEALTH HARMS

As well as being associated with weight gain and negatively affecting
skin, mood and sexual performance, regularly drinking over the
lower-risk guidelines is linked with a number of serious health
problems, including:

:: Increased risk of cancer of the throat, oesophagus or larynx

:: Breast cancer in women

:: Stroke

:: Heart disease

:: High blood pressure

:: Liver disease such as cirrhosis and liver cancer

:: Pancreatitis

:: Reduced fertility

:: Worried about your own or someone else’s drinking? Call Alcohol
Concern’s free, confidential Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays
9am-8pm, weekends 11am-4pm).

By Lisa Salmon