Alcohol Drinking Guidelines Changed; How Much Should You Drink?

The holiday season saw people downing copious amounts of alcohol in celebration with their friends and family. But as we all know, drinking can have adverse effects on our health and new guidelines have now been issued cutting down the recommended list for alcohol consumption.

Most of us know what alcohol can do to our bodies. According to the BBC, chief medical officers in the United Kingdom have reported that the consumption of any amount of alcohol can increase the risk of having cancer. The consumption of alcohol can also affect those around us, for example in the case of Ethan Couch.

The new guidelines on drinking alcoholic beverages state, "men and women who drink regularly should consume no more than 14 units a week." 14 units are roughly equivalent to six pints of beer or seven glasses of wine. 

The report from the BBC marks the change from previous guidelines. "The previous guidance for people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which, while suggesting they should not drink, said that if they did, it should be no more than one or two units of alcohol once or twice a week, and they should not get drunk," they write.

It is also not recommended for people to not drink for a week and double down on the next because they "saved up." Heavy drinking greatly increases the risk of accidents.

These guidelines are the first of its kind to be established since 1995. The unique thing about these guidelines is that they come from a full, comprehensive review and do not just concentrate on a single demographic. Updated advice on drinking while pregnant was established in 2007, while advice concerning the youth drinking was established in 2009.

These guidelines, in simpler terms, suggest that teetotalism should be observed on most days and that heavy drinking should be avoided at all costs. The new guidance has been welcomed by many, especially the people of Scotland.