Camra queries ‘no safe drink level’ claim

REAL ale lovers from across the borough say alcohol consumption guidelines issued by the country’s Chief Medical Officer “fly in the face of common sense”.

Members of the Hinckley and Bosworth branch of Camra, the campaign for real ale, are backing the national campaign’s call to the Department of Health for a review of the guidelines, which state that there is “no safe level” of alcohol cosumption.

The government guidelines, announced earlier this year, also see the recommended weekly consumption for men reduced from 21 units to 14 - the same as for women.

According to drinkaware.co.uk that’s the equivalent of six pints of average strength beer per week.

Hinckley and Bosworth Camra branch secretary Richard Lewin said: “Most people would agree that common sense should apply to most of what we do in life.

“When it comes to eating and drinking a sensible guideline has always been to do things in moderation.

“That way we are all likely to enjoy a good, healthy life.

“The suggested new alcohol guidelines seem to fly in the face of common sense.”

He said that at a branch meeting of 55 Camra members held in The New Plough on Leicester Road, Hinckley, this month (August) the guidelines were generally dismissed as “unrealistic”.

Mr Lewin said: “Most social drinking takes place in pubs of which we have a marvellous range in the Hinckley and Bosworth area.

“It is where we can meet friends, enjoy a chat and put the world to over a pleasant pint.

“Recently a major report by Oxford University confirmed the health and wellbeing benefits of using our community pubs (a Camra commissioned report called Friends on Tap).

“We didn’t need the University to tell us that but the Chief Medical Officer would be wise to take notice.

“Guidelines may be useful but give us sensible ones.”

Camra is calling on the Department of Health to launch a new consultation on the alcohol guidelines.

According to Camra, a survey of GPs commissioned by the campaign suggested that 60 per cent disagreed with the issued advice and that two-thirds considered that moderate alcohol consumption could be part of a healthy lifestyle. rights