Statement on new CMO guidelines on low risk drinking

Alcohol Research UK welcomes the new guidelines by the UK Chief Medical Officers and calls for a public debate to increase understanding on the levels of risk associated with alcohol consumption. Alcohol Research UK welcomes the new CMO guidelines on low-risk drinking, which are strongly informed by recent research on the health effects of alcohol consumption at all levels. The evidence of the association between alcohol and cancer has become stronger in recent years and shows that some cancer risks start to increase with any amount of alcohol consumption – though those risks are usually low to start with.  Acknowledging these associations is important and to be welcomed.  However, further information is needed and we hope that the publication of these guidelines will encourage an informed debate on this issue. The guidelines take a conservative view of the possible protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption on heart disease and stroke. The CMO report broadly rejects the claim that alcohol has a protective effect on the heart.  This question is still unresolved in the research and there is not much detail on how the claim that moderate drinking only reduces risk of heart disease among women over 55 was arrived at.  However, the guidelines do reflect the fact that any protective effect is likely to be cancelled out by any heavy drinking – even on a single occasion – and that the possible protective effects among older drinkers need to be balanced ...
Source: Alcohol Research UK - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: News guidelines risk risk factors Source Type: news