NEW official guidelines issued by the UK’s chief medical officers state that there is no safe level to drink alcohol and that even drinking a small amount can raise the risk of cancer.
The guidance marks the first full review of NHS alcohol guidelines since 1995.
The revised government guidelines say men and women should drink no more than 14 units a week (the equivalent of nine small glasses of wine or five pints of strong larger)
Scroll down to see what 1 unit really means....
Experts also recommended spreading the weekly allowance over the week and warned against saving them up and using them all at once.
Men were previously told they could drink up to 21 units per week, and that daily drinking of three to four units for men and two to three units for women was safe. The new guidelines stress that some days should be alcohol-free.
According to the new advice, the risk of developing a wide range of illnesses increases no matter how much you drink, if you drink on a regular basis.
England's Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, told the BBC: "Drinking any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk for anyone, but if men and women limit their intake to no more than 14 units a week it keeps the risk of illness like cancer and liver disease low."
HOW MUCH IS A UNIT?
1 unit = 1 shot of spirits
1 unit = 1 standard (175ml) glass of wine
3 units = 1 pint of 4%-strength beer:
5 units = 1 pint of strong cider (8%)
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