Recommended limits

Department of Health guidelines state: 

• Men and women are safest not to drink regularly more than 14 units per week, to keep health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level
• If a person does drink 14 units per week, it is best to spread this evenly over three days or more. If a person has one or two heavy drinking sessions a week, they increase the risk of death from long-term illnesses and from accidents and injuries
• The risk of developing a range of illnesses, including cancer and heart disease, increases with any amount of alcohol consumed on a regular basis
• If a person wishes to cut down the amount of alcohol they are drinking, a good way to help achieve this is to have several drink-free days each week.

Some groups of people are more likely to be affected by alcohol and should be more careful of their level of drinking on any one occasion. This includes those at risk of falls, those on medication that may interact with alcohol or where it may exacerbate pre-existing physical and mental health problems.

The chief medical officer's guideline states that the safest approach for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy is not to drink alcohol at all, in order to keep risks to the baby to a minimum.

Defining risk

• Lower risk refers to drinking that is within the guidelines and is not likely to result in alcohol-related problems
• Increasing risk refers to men and women who are regularly drinking between 14 and 35 units a week
• Higher risk refers to men and women who are regularly drinking more than 35 units a week. Binge drinking is defined by NHS Choices as drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time, or drinking to get drunk. As everybody is different, it is not easy to say exactly how many units in one session count as binge drinking
• Dependent drinking is characterised by an increased need to drink alcohol and difficulty in controlling its use, despite negative consequences.

Alcohol and health

People considered to be in the increasing risk or higher risk groups of alcohol consumption are at an increased risk of many physical health problems, including cancer, hypertension, arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, seizures, diabetes, dementia, increased risk of infertility and alcoholic liver disease. These people are also at a higher risk of developing mental health problems, including depression, extreme emotional distress, paranoia, aggression and disorientation in terms of time, place and person.

Alcohol misuse and pharmacy

There's an opportunity for pharmacy staff to talk to customers about their alcohol consumption, identify individuals who may benefit from reducing it, raise awareness of the risks and provide brief advice and signposting where appropriate.