Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

Alcohol
4.50 Alcohol can cause significant physical, psychological and social harm if misused. Guidelines for sensible
drinking state that regular consumption of up to 21 units per week for men and 14 for women does
not accrue significant health risks 90 – equivalent daily limits are less than 3-4 units per day for men
and less than 2-3 units per day for women (with two alcohol-free days after heavy drinking). Regular
drinking, including binge drinking, above these levels is not recommended because of the progressive
health risk this carries. In the East of England, the proportion of women consuming 21-35 units per
week increased from 2% to 7% between 1993 and 2002; the proportion consuming more than 35
units per week increased from 2% to 4% over the same period. 91
Conclusions
4.51 What determines the health of people in the East of England is, in practice, extremely complicated.
Causal pathways are multi-dimensional and different layers of health determinants interact with
each other – in different ways during an individual’s life course – to determine health outcomes.
4.52 Looking across the four layers, we might summarise the different challenges in terms of different stages
of the life course, recognising that considerations relating to gender, ethnicity, poverty and geography
cut across each of these. A summary table which considers all of these dimensions is presented in
Figure 4.2 overleaf.
90 Sensible Drinking: the report of an inter-departmental working group. London: DH, 1995.
91 Alcohol Use in the East of England (draft): ERPHO, October 2005.
A Regional Health Strategy for the East of England 53