The Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol was released Tuesday by the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council and Universities Australia. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

Alcohol is the most widely used drug in Australia. About 8 in 10 Australian adults drink alcohol. People drink alcohol for a wide range of reasons and in different social and cultural contexts. Alcohol can cause harm to the person who drinks and sometimes to others around them. Based on the most current scientific evidence, the Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol inform Australians of the health risks of drinking alcohol and provide advice on how to keep these risks low. They help people choose how much alcohol they drink, if any.

The new guidelines include adults, children and young people, pregnant or breastfeeding women.

To view the new guidelines, please click here.