CMO's messaging around moderate drinking recommendations could potentially be diluted
The new moderate drinking guidelines which created a stir at the beginning of the year are still set to move forward, but the messaging the government is taking may be more diluted than what the chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies recommended earlier in the year.
The new moderate drinking guidelines which created a stir at the beginning of the year are still set to move forward, but the messaging the government is taking may be more diluted than what the chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies recommended earlier in the year.
At the start of the year, the UK government revised the guidelines for alcohol consumption which became some of the strictest in Europe. The guidelines, which had not be changed in twenty years, where drawn up by the government without consulting the drinks industry.
The proposed guidelines recommended the weekly limit for men to be cut from 21 units to 14, which is in-line with the current advice for women. The UK will be the only country that has both the men and women's recommended guidelines at the same levels.
Henry Ashworth, chief executive of the Portman Group, said at the time that the guidelines were introduced: "Guidelines are important because they help people make informed choices about their own drinking so it's vital that they are trusted and understood by consumers.
"What is surprising is that the UK is breaking with established international precedent by recommending the same guidelines for men and women.
"It also means that UK men are now being advised to drink significantly less than their European counterparts."
While the guideline recommendation, which are set to be released in the next few weeks following a consultation period, are not expected to change, the overall tone of the message may be less severe to the public. The CMO in January suggested there was no safe level of drinking and people should think about the risk of developing cancer every time they considered a drink. While the report that the recommendations have been based on does include evidence that any alcohol consumption can increase certain health risks, some of the percentages are equivalent to the risks that are incurred with driving a car.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to highlight the section for the report that does put the risks in context so as not prevent people from a enjoying a moderate drink.
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