Abstaining from alcohol for two days is a sign of not having a drink problem, says adviser

Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said having two "dry" days a week was "a very good indicator" of not being addicted to alcohol.

Sir Ian's comments came after a group of MPs tried to clear up current guidance on alcohol intake by suggesting drinkers should give the bottle a miss at least twice a week.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he admitted that having a small drink every day was unlikely to cause harm.

But the Royal College of Physicians' special adviser on alcohol said being able to give up drinking for two days out of seven showed a drinker was not addicted.

"There is a lot of confusion and this comes out very clearly in the report," he told the show.

“If somebody drinks half a glass of wine a day for every day of their life, they’re unlikely to come to harm. But life is not like that. People who drink every day don’t tend to drink just one drink.

“We know there are 1.5 million dependent drinkers in the UK who will drink every day, and if you can take a couple of days off a week, it’s a very good indicator that you’re probably not addicted to alcohol."

Pressed on how much drinkers could get away with every day, Sir Ian said: "We would advise an upper limit of 21 units a week with two to three alcohol free days a week, but don't take those 21 all in one or two sessions where you get drunk.

"If you stick to two units a day, every day, you will probably be all right but there's no such thing as an entirely safe limit."

The Science and Technology Committee report said the public believed the switch from weekly to daily limits had meant an increase in the safe amount to drink while medical research suggested moderate daily drinking could be good for the health.

Andrew Miller, chairman of the committee, called on the Government to review its guidelines.

.telegraph.co.uk