Summary of the proposed new guidelines
1. This summary of the UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) advice to the public is intended to help those providing feedback on the consultation, by explaining the 3 main recommendations. The main Guidelines development group (‘the expert group’) report and key background papers have been published alongside the consultation documents.
2. The proposed guidelines and the expert group report that underpins them, have been developed on the basis of the following principles:
• People have a right to accurate information and clear advice about alcohol and its health risks.
• There is a responsibility on Government to ensure this information is provided for citizens in an open way, so they can make informed choices.
3. The new guidelines have been developed to inform the public about the known health risks of different levels and patterns of drinking, particularly for people who want to know how to keep long term health risks from regular drinking of alcohol low.
4. Individuals will make their own judgements as to risks they are willing to accept from alcohol, whether to drink alcohol, and how much and how often to drink. These guidelines should help people to make informed choices.
5. At the request of the UK CMOs, three independent groups of experts have met over the last 2½ years to consider the evidence on the health effects of alcohol; and whether this could form the basis of new advice to the public.
6. The UK Chief Medical Officers considered and accepted the advice of the expert group and agreed on 3 main recommendations:
• A weekly guideline on regular drinking;
• Advice on single episodes of drinking; and
• A guideline on pregnancy and drinking.