Guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol

Summary of guidelines for low-risk drinking
Guideline 1	Reducing the risk of alcohol-related harm over a lifetime The lifetime risk of harm from drinking alcohol increases with the amount consumed. For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.
Guideline 2	Reducing the risk of injury on a single occasion of drinking On a single occasion of drinking, the risk of alcohol-related injury increases with the amount consumed. For healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion.
Guideline 3	Children and young people under 18 years of age For children and young people under 18 years of age, not drinking alcohol is the safest option. Parents and carers should be advised that children under 15 years of age are at the greatest risk of harm from drinking and that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is especially important. For young people aged 15−17 years, the safest option is to delay the initiation of drinking for as long as possible.
Guideline 4	Pregnancy and breastfeeding Maternal alcohol consumption can harm the developing foetus or breastfeeding baby. For women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option. For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking is the safest option.

There are also a number of additional factors that influence the risk of alcohol-related harm. These factors should be considered when making an informed decision regarding the amount of alcohol that an individual chooses to drink. They include:

specific situations where alcohol has the potential to endanger life; for example, when drinking is combined with activities such as driving, operating machinery or supervising children
groups that can be at increased risk if they drink alcohol; for example, young adults (18–25 years), older people (60+ years), people with a family history of alcohol dependence, and people who use drugs illicitly
people who may need to seek professional advice about drinking; for example, people taking medication, people with alcohol-related or other physical conditions, and people with mental health conditions.

If you wish to read the full document it can be viewed at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/your_health/healthy/alcohol/index.htm