Mass Disappointment as NHS Unveils New Drinking Guidelines


Posted on Mon 20th Apr 2015 at 13:38




Industry figures have expressed their disappointment at new guidelines, recently unveiled by Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies, which recommend that people should not drink more than 14 units a week.


This new guidance, which equates to around six pints of beer or seven glasses of wine per week, were announced following recent research into the effects of alcohol. It also contains other recommendations, such as having several drink-free days per week, spread drinking out evenly, and avoid heavy drinking sessions that may lead to long-term illnesses or accidents. One of the chief drivers for industry disappointment is the lack of a consultation period, as Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) CEO Miles Beale explained: "Twenty years after the original guidelines, all labelling advice is out of date overnight. We are disappointed that the guidelines are expected to come in with immediate effect and that Government's industry partners have not been involved in any consultation." Beale also argued that Government and industry working together is the only way to change consumer behaviour. An example of this is the Responsibility Deal, which has led to around an 18% drop in alcohol consumption over 10 years. The WSTA is now conducting their own review of the evidence that led to the new guidelines being introduced, with the aim of talking to the Government about the issue in due course. In the meantime, there is little likelihood that the new recommendations will change consumer behaviour overnight. News articles suggest that the guidelines will largely be taken 'with a pinch of salt', and that the Government is likely to lose the public's trust by introducing them without fully explaining the research. Men, for example, are now being advised to drink the same amount as women - something that goes against what medical professionals have been telling the public for decades. In the face of such widespread confusion it is likely that the public, 80% of whom currently drink within the old responsible guidelines, will opt to keep calm and carry on drinking as before.


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