The NHMRC have revised their previous alcohol guidelines published in 2009.

The Australian Government National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has published revised guidelines about drinking alcohol. They advise the following:

• Healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.

This is a reduction from the previous 14 drink weekly limit and will reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.

• Children and young people under 18 years of age should not drink alcohol.

The developing brain is more sensitive to the damage from alcohol.

• For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, no drinking alcohol is safest for their baby.

No safe level of drinking alcohol during pregnancy has been identified. Alcohol passes into the breastmilk and the infant brain is more sensitive to damage from alcohol.

Professor Paul Kelly, Australia’s Acting Chief Medical Officer, says: “Every year there are more than 4,000 alcohol-related deaths in Australia, and more than 70,000 hospital admissions. Alcohol is linked to more than 40 medical conditions, including many cancers. Following the guidelines keeps the risk of harm from alcohol low, but it does not remove all risk. Healthy adults drinking within the guideline recommendations have less than a 1 in 100 chance of dying from an alcohol-related condition.”

You can access the revised guidelines here.