Hold the gin

The guidelines on alcohol consumption recommended that I drink no more than ten standard drinks, including no more than four standard drinks, on any day. In Australia, there are 4,000 alcohol-related deaths a year, 70,000 hospital admissions and links to more than 40 medical conditions. Alcohol consumption in this country comes at a high cost.

The guidelines are designed to strike a balance between the acknowledgement that people enjoy drinking alcohol and the need to reduce the harm associated with the abuse or over-consumption of alcohol. It is an appropriate message, given that we all could do with improving our health in some way. However, as one in four Australians drink alcohol at risky levels, it is a timely reminder that alcohol can be harmful.

So I have heeded the warnings and have abstained from drinking alcohol. Not only might it save my liver, but it will also save money. So I will have tonic water, a slice of lemon, and hold the gin.