Introduction
There is no ‘safe’ limit of alcohol intake. The risk of developing a range of illnesses increases with any amount you drink on a regular basis.
The Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines for both men and women are: (this applies to adults who drink regularly i.e. most weeks)
- To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.
- If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread your drinking evenly over 3 or more days.
- If you have 1 or 2 heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risks of death from long term illness and from accidents and injuries.
- The risk of developing a range of health problems, including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast, increases the more you drink on a regular basis.
- If you want to cut down the amount you drink, a good way is to have several drink-free days each week.
- If you are pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all, to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.
Page last reviewed: 21 Jul 2023
