The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has recently updated its guidelines for drinking alcohol – just in time for the silly season.
The guidelines are designed to minimise the risk of the occasional tipple, although as the NHMRC notes that they don’t remove the dangers of drinking completely.
The key message for most adults to keep in mind is the limit of 10 standard drinks per week for healthy men and women.
But don’t save them all till the end of the week – the NHMRC recommends no more than four standard drinks on any one day.
In a piece on The Conversation, NHMRC Alcohol Working Committee chair Kate Conigrave says alcohol continues to be a major health burden in Australia, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and 70,000 hospital admissions per year.
“These guidelines are not trying to tell you what you can and can’t do,” she writes.
“Rather, we’re providing advice on how you can reduce your health risks from drinking alcohol. That way, we can all make informed decisions in our daily lives.”
Good advice!
