Dr Richard Smith, a medical doctor and ex-editor of the British Medical Journal, was a member of the Royal College of Physicians' working party which set the British guidelines regarding "safe" alcohol limits in 1987. He has since (in October 2007 *) admitted that the figures were, "plucked out of the air." The epidemiologist on the same group said, "It's impossible to say what is safe and what isn't, as we don't really have any data whatsoever." (*
http://www.timesonlin...k/article2697975.ece)
Later studies revealed that (a) men drinking up to 30 units per week had the lowest mortality rate in Britain and (b) men would have to drink 63 units per week to face the same risk of death as a teetotaller. I like these odds!
So, for twenty-odd years, we have been subjected to the notion that 21 units was the ‘safe' weekly limit for men and 14 units for women and this was clearly based on - literally - no scientific evidence whatsoever! 21 units represents about 1½ pints of ordinary beer per day (ppd)...(cont)