Change drinking guidelines, says HSE

WEEKLY DRINKING guidelines should be based on the number of grams of alcohol in a standard drink rather than the current unit-based system, a report published yesterday said.

The HSE report says the current system of measuring consumption intake based on UK units underestimates alcohol intake, because the measures used in Ireland tend to be larger and/or stronger. It says the current recommended upper limits for weekly alcohol consumption of 14 units for women and 21 units for men should be revised for Irish conditions to 11 standard drinks for women and 17 for men.

On average, every Irish adult consumes 21 standard drinks a week, the report by Dr Ann Hope says – equivalent to 548 pints a year or 143 bottle of wine or 51 bottles of vodka.

The report says the availability of alcoholic drinks has increased significantly over the past decade, with an overall trend towards stronger drinks in larger container sizes. Labelling is often confusing and there is a lack of clarity about the names of some products, in particular the meaning of the word “light”.

It says label information on alcoholic drinks should be clear and precise, and should include information about the risks, the total quantity of alcohol, and details of ingredients and calorie content.

“It is important for all of us to have information on the alcohol content of the drinks we consume,” said Dr Joe Barry, HSE public health consultant. “Existing labelling policies prevent us knowing how much pure alcohol is contained in various products.”

Drinks manufacturers called on the Government to bring forward legislation for the provision of unit information and pregnancy advice labels on alcohol product labels.

However, the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) said the report’s focus on the grams of alcohol contained in a standard drink rather than the number of alcohol units could be counterproductive and confusing for consumers.

Rosemary Garth, director of ABFI, said there was no basis for switching from the current practice of relating health guidelines to the number of units consumed.

“The standard unit in Ireland is understood by consumers and is in-line with World Health Organisation recommendations and standard practice in the UK.”