Public confusion over safe drinking

The public are still confused about sensible drinking messages in the UK, researchers have said.

With growing concern about the ill-health and public disorder caused by binge-drinking, a poll of shoppers found many did not use alcohol labelling to help monitor their drinking.

The survey, published in the British Medical Journal, questioned 263 supermarket shoppers in Edinburgh.

Researchers Jan Gill and Fiona O'May, from Queen Mary University College in Edinburgh, asked the shoppers about their knowledge of sensible drinking messages and awareness of alcohol labelling.

The Department of Health advises that men drink no more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day, and women should drink no more than 2-3 units.

A 175ml glass of red or white wine contains around two units, while a pint of ordinary strength lager also has two units.

The survey found that most of those questioned were able to define roughly what a unit of alcohol was - only 14% of women and 16% of men were unable to give a response.

But there was poor knowledge of the recommended daily guidance.

Only 8% knew that women were limited to 2-3 units and 5% knew that men were limited to 3-4 units a day.

Only 25% of women and 19% of men said they used the unit system to monitor their own personal drinking.

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