With the holiday season officially kicking offit is inevitable to think about the glass of champagne to celebrate the new year, the cup of mulled wine to warm up while at the Christmas markets, or a pint of beer to toast with old friends.
But the perennial question remains: how much should we drink? And is the odd drink harmful to our health?
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that, when it comes to alcohol, no level of alcohol is safe for our consumption.
The health agency has classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen – the highest risk group – which sits alongside asbestos, radiation, and tobacco.
The European Union (EU) is the subregion with the heaviest alcohol consumption in the world, and where cancer is now also the leading cause of death, according to the WHO.
In 2023, annual alcohol consumption per capita across countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) averaged 8.5 litres of pure alcohol.
Latvia, Portugal, and Romania drank over 11.5 litres per year and nearly a third of the countries recorded per capita consumption of 10 litres or more.
“The WHO European Region cannot afford the illusion that consuming alcohol is harmless,” said Gundo Weiler, director for Prevention and Health Promotion at the WHO’s director for prevention and health promotion.
However, not all experts agree with these assessments.
A recent study by the American Heart Association (AHA) suggested that light drinking poses no risk for coronary disease, stroke, or heart failure. It even said low amounts of alcohol may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
Yet, the American association states: “if you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit your intake.”
The organisation adds that, while some research suggests no effect or even reduced risk for heart disease and stroke from moderate drinking, all the evidence together does not support benefits for the general population.
“In fact, for some people, even one to two drinks per day can increase blood pressure,” it concludes – adding the AHA does not advise anyone to drink for reasons of benefiting their health.
How much alcohol is “safe”?
While experts agree that excessive drinking hurts the body, they don’t agree on which amount, if any, can be considered “low risk”.
The Health Service Executive (HSE), which oversees public health services in Ireland, states in its guidelines that people should not drink more than 11 standard drinks per week for women and 17 for men.
The organisation states a standard drink as one that has 10g of pure alcohol. This could be a 100ml glass of wine, or half a glass of cider or beer.
The Irish body recommends spreading the drinks during the week, having at least two to three alcohol-free days per week, and avoiding more than six drinks on any single occasion.
Estonia and Poland set the limit at 40g of alcohol per day for men – equivalent to four small beers – and 20g for women.
The Spanish Ministry of Health is more cautious and recommends no more than 10g of alcohol per day for women, equivalent to a shot, half a glass of wine or a small beer. This is double the amount for men.
Latvia and Lithuania go even further, advising against alcohol consumption altogether.
