How much alcohol is it safe to drink? HIQA research support update to Ireland’s low-risk alcohol guidelines
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What new reports are informing Ireland's low-risk alcohol guidelines?
This morning, the Health Information and Quality Authority has published two reports that will help inform a revision of Ireland's low-risk alcohol guidelines. Commissioned by the Department of Health, these reports look at the risk of death and admission to hospital due to alcohol consumption, as well as the link between alcohol consumption and mental health. To discuss these reports in more detail, I'm going to speak to consultant hepatologist in Beaumont Hospital, Dr John Ryan. But first, to talk us through the findings, I'm joined by HICWA's Deputy Director of Health Technology Assessment, Michelle O'Neill. Michelle, good morning to you.
Good morning, David.
Fairly comprehensive reports. Can you give us an overview of what you found in the first report that looked at mortality and hospital admissions?
Yeah, so the first report looked at the link between health outcomes, so mortality, as you said, and hospital admissions with drinking alcohol. And what we found is there's a very clear link between the more you drink, the greater your risk of mortality and of the risk of admission to hospital because of alcohol. So the more you drink, the greater your risk is. We also found that there wasn't really any level where there was no risk. So any alcohol consumption does increase your risk a little bit of dying early or being admitted to hospital. We also found, interestingly, that there isn't much of a difference between the risk for men and women with the same level of alcohol consumption.
That's very interesting because, can you remind us of the current guidelines?
So the current guidelines state that for a low level of alcohol drinking, a woman should drink no more than 11 standard alcohol drinks a week and a man 17.
Okay, and a unit is a half pint or a glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits. And sometimes people, I think, perhaps regard that as more of a target than a limit, do they?
Perhaps, but I think the important thing is this is about informing of your risk.
Because we've always heard that there's been, I think there's always been a difference in the limits that have been talked about for women and for men, but your research doesn't support that at all.
No. This is one of the more interesting findings is that there isn't really much of a difference when you look at the short to medium and long term effects of alcohol consumption on your health. So we're not talking here about feeling drunk. We're talking about the impact on your mortality, you know, dying younger. There really isn't a difference between the amount of alcohol a woman or a man drinks and their longer term effects.
OK. And in terms of that mortality effect, it's quite stark, isn't it?
Well, we're looking at different risk levels. And what I was saying is the more you drink, the higher risk. So it's hard to kind of put a line in the sand with that. But if you think of one in a thousand, so if an average, you know, a thousand people are averagely drinking about five grams of alcohol a day, then one of those would die before the age of 75. And if you look at one in a hundred, then the grams of alcohol a day would be 18 for men or 16 for women.
OK, what's five grams of alcohol? What does that equate to?
Five grams of alcohol is about a half a pint.
So a half a pint a day and your risk of dying goes up quite a lot.
Well, it goes up to about one in a thousand.
What did the first report reveal about alcohol's impact on mortality and hospital admissions?
But it is important to know that there is no bottom limit really. So any alcohol you consume does increase your risk. So it's about people making that informed choice about what risk they're willing to accept and just to know those risks, I think.
But I mean... People who maybe have a glass of wine with their dinner or might have a couple of drinks at the weekend or whatever are probably listening to this thinking that they're very moderate alcohol users. They don't really think that they're putting themselves at risk. And you're kind of bursting their bubble there a bit, are you?
Well, there is a risk. I think it's important that people know that any alcohol consumption at all does increase your risk of, you know, those health outcomes like dying early and admission to hospital.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What new reports are informing Ireland's low-risk alcohol guidelines?
0:00–3:19
2
What did the first report reveal about alcohol's impact on mortality and hospital admissions?
3:19–6:53
3
How do current alcohol consumption guidelines differ for men and women?
6:53–9:30
4
What are the risks associated with any level of alcohol consumption?
9:30–14:24