Knowledge of the Chief Medical Officers' low-risk drinking guidelines

In 2016, the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) updated the guidelines on low risk drinking,¹ recommending that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week, but, if so, they should spread this consumption out over several days. For the first time, they also advised that it is safest for people who are pregnant, or are trying to conceive, to avoid alcohol entirely.  

The 2022 Drinkaware Monitor² assessed awareness of these guidelines, and the revisions made to them in 2016, among the UK public, with levels of awareness and understanding generally being relatively mixed. To determine whether there had been any changes since then, the 2024 Drinkaware Monitor³ also assessed this awareness and understanding – the results of which are outlined in this research. Using data from the 2024 Drinkaware Monitor, this research also examines how guideline awareness varies between different groups of individuals, and discusses the ramifications of these insights for public health, industry and government.

What did we do?

The goal of this research was to compare awareness of the CMOs guidelines among a sample of UK adults in 2024, to the levels seen in 2022. As well as this, this research also compared awareness and understanding among different groups to the levels seen among the wider population – identifying groups of individuals which show relatively higher or lower levels of awareness.

Key findings

Awareness of the guidelines has shifted since 2022

• In 2024, UK adults were less likely (than in 2022) to correctly think that the CMOs’ guidelines specify a weekly unit limit, but were more likely to correctly think that they specify the same unit limit for everyone.  
• The proportion of UK adults who know what the weekly unit limit specified by the CMOs’ guidelines has not changed since 2022, however UK adults were more likely to say that they don’t know what the weekly unit limit is. 

Awareness and knowledge of the guidelines varies between different groups

• Men, who are more likely (than all UK adults) to drink more than 14 units per week, show relatively poor awareness of what the weekly unit limit is, and what the guidance is for pregnant women. 
• LGBTQ+ individuals, meanwhile, are more likely to think that the current guidelines contain outdated guidance. 
• Other socially marginalized groups, including those living in the most deprived areas (IMD deciles 1 to 3) and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, are less likely than all UK adults to correctly identify the weekly unit limit, and the guidance for pregnant women.

What does this mean?

• These insights suggest that awareness of the CMOs’ guidelines is relatively poor, meaning that many UK adults may not be able to make evidence-informed decisions about their drinking.  
• Although it is not mandatory to include the CMOs’ guidelines on alcohol labels, a Portman Group survey⁴ found that the vast majority of products included the guidelines, suggesting enforcing their mandatory inclusion on labels may not prove effective in raising awareness, and reducing alcohol harm.  
• Further, raising awareness of the CMOs’ guidelines is unlikely to be a silver bullet in reducing alcohol harm. Instead, a more holistic approach, challenging societal norms, encouraging reduced levels of alcohol consumption and raising awareness of the guidelines, may have a greater impact on adherence to the guidelines.