Australian adults who drink more than two stubbies of mid-strength beer or 200ml of wine in a day put their lives at risk.
And teetotalling is the safest option for young people and women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to have a baby, according to new guidelines that ''usher in a new era of caution'' about alcohol.
The National Health and Medical Research Council issued yesterday its long-awaited advice to ''reduce health risks from drinking alcohol'' a report described as a ''major wake-up call''. The independent authority has recommended stricter limits on drinking for adults.
It has offered ''more conservative'' advice to young people and pregnant women compared with guidelines issued eight years ago.
The new guidelines were produced after three years of research and consultation by the committee chaired by Professor Jon Currie from the Department of Addiction Medicine at St Vincent's Hospital.
''The guidelines aren't telling you what you can or can't do,'' Professor Currie said yesterday. ''They aim to help Australians make their own informed choices about alcohol and how much risk they want to take with their health.''
''Two standard drinks a day keeps your risk below one chance in 100 of dying as a result of drinking. This is slightly less than your risk of dying in a car accident one day.''
Healthy adults who downed more than two standard drinks in any day were more likely to suffer long-term harm such as alcohol-related disease or injury.
Four standard drinks for men and two for women were the limits set in 2001.
The new guidelines also cover drinking on a ''single occasion'', such as going to the pub, meeting friends for a drink or having a few drinks at home.
Healthy adults should have no more than four standard drinks in a single session to reduce the risk of alcohol-related injury.
In its old guidelines, the council concluded men were more likely to suffer short-term harm if they drank more than six standard drinks in a day.
It was more than four standard drinks for women.
The council has now provided ''more conservative'' advice on drinking for people younger than 18 years and women who were pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to have a baby.
They should all abstain from drinking alcohol.
Royal Australasian College of Physicians spokesman Steve Skov urged Australians to drink less alcohol, saying the new guidelines were a ''major wake-up call''.
''The tragedy is that we have the wrong idea in our minds as to how much alcohol is OK,'' DrSkov said.
''It is much lower than many of us think. We need a sustained commitment to change the Australian drinking culture.''
Public Health Association of Australia president Professor Mike Daube agreed.
''It is time we woke up to the reality that we are drinking too much as a community and as individuals. The increase in drinking by young people in recent years is especially worrying,'' Professor Daube said.
The Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation and Cancer Council Australia were also among groups that welcomed the guidelines.
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