Doctors fear the new drink guidelines could encourage women to drink to unsafe levels

Medical experts have expressed concerns that the new drink limits which set the same recommendation for men and women could be harmful for women. Doctors say it could give women a 'false impression' that they can safely drink as much as men and may even encourage binge drinking.

In a Department of Health consultation document on the new guidelines, doctors also warn that equal limits for men and women were inconsistent with other parts of the guidelines which warn that a lower weight increases alcohol risks. The guidelines lower the recommended weekly limit for men from 21 units to 14 units, the same as for women.

In January the Chief Medical Officer had warned that any level of alcohol was harmful. Although the new guidelines retain the claim that there is no safe drinking level it tones down previous government warnings saying that there is nothing wrong with occasional and moderate drinking.