The Chief Medical Officer in England, Dame Sally Davies, thinks this is the directive we should be giving. And it isn’t being received well by many.
The CMO came under fire when she issued new recommendations for alcohol consumption for both men and women. Men were told they should drink only the amount previously recommended for women. This translates to a reduction from 21 units of alcohol weekly to 14 units. Women were told there was no safe level of alcohol for them to consume, due to recent evidence connecting alcohol use with cancer, particularly breast cancer.
The response from the public and academics was quick and fiery. Davies has been accused of creating a “nanny state,” but she has been firm in her defense. She thinks that tea is a better option at the end of the day than a glass of wine. She believes that the health benefits of wine are under question and tea is a better match for a healthful lifestyle because for many, the drink is about ritual.
"I like a glass of wine,” Davies stated on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. “But actually what I do when I go home because I believe you do need - many of us - a ritual, is drink a glass of tea, or cup of tea, instead of a glass of wine and save a glass of wine for a special occasion."
SOURCE: The Telegraph (1), The Telegraph (2), The Daily Mail, ITV
The CMO came under fire when she issued new recommendations for alcohol consumption for both men and women. Men were told they should drink only the amount previously recommended for women. This translates to a reduction from 21 units of alcohol weekly to 14 units. Women were told there was no safe level of alcohol for them to consume, due to recent evidence connecting alcohol use with cancer, particularly breast cancer.
The response from the public and academics was quick and fiery. Davies has been accused of creating a “nanny state,” but she has been firm in her defense. She thinks that tea is a better option at the end of the day than a glass of wine. She believes that the health benefits of wine are under question and tea is a better match for a healthful lifestyle because for many, the drink is about ritual.
"I like a glass of wine,” Davies stated on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. “But actually what I do when I go home because I believe you do need - many of us - a ritual, is drink a glass of tea, or cup of tea, instead of a glass of wine and save a glass of wine for a special occasion."
SOURCE: The Telegraph (1), The Telegraph (2), The Daily Mail, ITV