The Government guidelines on alcohol consumption are unrealistic, confusing and frequently ignored, concludes a study published in the journal Addiction.

The research, carried out by the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, gaged public attitudes to drinking guidelines by holding focus group sessions with adults aged between 19 and 65 from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Recommendations on daily alcohol consumption were generally disregarded because they did not take into account heavy drinking at weekends. Participants also disliked the use of units as an alcohol measurement, preferring to measure their intake in the number of drinks or bottles that they had consumed.

The study also revealed that people were more likely to regulate their drinking due to practical factors such as needing to work or take care of children the next day, rather than because of health issues.