Recommended Maximum Intake of Alcoholic Beverages - Caveats

Caveats

The guidelines are general guidelines applying to a 'typical' person. However, there are some people who should not consume alcohol, or limit their use to less than guideline amounts. These are:

• "People with chronic hepatitis C (or other forms of chronic hepatitis infection) who drink heavily have poorer health outcomes than those who drink less." That is, they have poorer health outcomes than do those who drink within the guidelines.
• Thin people — those below average body weight (60 kg for men, 50 kg for women)
• People with a relative who has, or has had, a problem with alcohol. First-degree relatives are parents and siblings; second-degree relatives are grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. These individuals "are urged to be careful about how much they drink."
• People with a mental health problem (such as anxiety or depression) or sleep disturbances Individuals with a mental health problem "should take particular care to stay within the levels set in Guideline 1"
• People taking medications or other drugs, if contraindicated, "Numerous classes of prescription medications can interact with alcohol, including antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants, non-narcotic pain medications and anti-inflammatory agents, opioids, and warfarin. In addition, many over-the-counter and herbal medications can cause negative effects when taken with alcohol." Others include analgesics, aspirin, insulin, and oral contraceptives. "The list of medications that may interact with alcohol is so long that you should always consult a pharmacist or physician before drinking while using any medicine."
• Older people because their bodies may be less able to handle the effects of alcohol. Older people are urged "to consider drinking less than the levels set in Guideline 1"
• Young adults (aged about 18–25 years) are urged to drink no more than 2 standard drinks a day.
• Young people (up to about 18 years) "should not drink to become intoxicated."
• People who are or have been dependent on other drugs
• People who have a poor diet, or are under-nourished
• People who have a family history of cancer or other risk factors for cancer (see Alcohol and cancer for details of how alcohol affects the risk of various cancers)
• People who are told not to drink for legal, medical or other reasons
• "People who choose not to drink alcohol should not be urged to drink to gain any potential health benefit, and should be supported in their decision not to drink. … Non-drinkers can use other strategies, such as regular exercise, giving up smoking, and a healthy diet, to gain protection against heart disease."

The standard guidelines may be too high when:

• undertaking activities that involve risk or a degree of skill such as flying, scuba diving, water sports, ski-ing, using complex or heavy machinery or farm machinery, and driving.
• suffering an acute or chronic physical disease such as heart and lung disease, influenza, diabetes, epilepsy or acute infections
• recovering from an accident, injury or operation
• taking sleeping pills or tranquillisers, anti-depressants or narcotics
• responsible for the safety of others at work or at home