Sensible drinking

The Chief Medical Officers' guideline for both men and women is that:

• You are safest not to drink regularly more than 14 units per week, to keep health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level
  
  
• If you do drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread this evenly over 3 days or more. If you have one or two heavy drinking sessions, you increase your risks of death from long term illnesses and from accidents and injuries
  
  
• The risk of developing a range of illnesses (including, for example, cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases with any amount you drink on a regular basis
  
  
• If you wish to cut down the amount you're drinking, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days each week
  
  
  
  

Reference:

• DOH (January 2016). How to keep health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level: public consultation on proposed new guidelines.