Alcohol Advice 'Irrelevant And Unhelpful'

The Government's guidelines on alcohol are unrealistic, irrelevant and difficult to work out.

A study released today by the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol, which includes researchers from the University of Stirling, on our drinking habits suggests people find units as a measure of alcohol unhelpful, as opposed to bottles, glasses and pints. Men are advised not to drink more than 3 to 4 units a-day, while it's recommended women don't exceed 2 to 3 units.

The results also revealed that people think the recommended quantities of drink are unrealistic, as they don’t recognise that many people are motivated to drink to get drunk. Researchers found that participants preferred the current Australian and Canadian guidelines, which include separate advice for regular drinking and for single occasion drinking, which were regarded as more relevant and flexible to occasional drinkers.
 
While participants did regulate their drinking, this was usually down to practical issues such as needing to go to work or having childcare responsibilities, rather than health concerns or due to guidance.

Linda Bauld, Professor of Health Policy, said: "Both policy makers and health professionals may find the research results useful in considering how people interpret current guidelines and any place these guidelines may have in providing information to advise people about alcohol consumption.
 
"This research was conducted in both Scotland and England illustrating that the findings have relevance for different parts of the country."

Jim Bett from Fife Alcohol Support Service says the unit as a measurement confuses many: