This won’t surprise those with my level of cynicism:
Guidelines on safe alcohol consumption limits that have shaped health policy in Britain for 20 years were “plucked out of the air” as an “intelligent guess”.
The Times reveals today that the recommended weekly drinking limits of 21 units of alcohol for men and 14 for women, first introduced in 1987 and still in use today, had no firm scientific basis whatsoever.
An "intelligent guess by a committee" apparently. Some truth about booze:
One found that men drinking between 21 and 30 units of alcohol a week had the lowest mortality rate in Britain. Another concluded that a man would have to drink 63 units a week, or a bottle of wine a day, to face the same risk of death as a teetotaller.
Yes, of course alcohol can be dangerous. Depending upon how the rugby goes, tonight’s consumption could even be so. But isn’t it lovely the way we’ve been lied to over what is a dangerous level of consumption?
2 responses so far ↓
1 Kit // Oct 20, 2007 at 11:11 am
Add it to the list of made up “safe” limits:
BMI of 25
Speed limit of 20mph
Salt 6g
2 dearieme // Oct 20, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Yeah, and don’t swim after eating or you’ll die.
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