Alcohol and common sense

I was delighted to see this on the BBC's website tonight:

Advice on drinking alcohol to be reviewed

Well, thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for that - common sense at last. It goes on to say:

The Department of Health has consulted experts who have admitted that the
current recommended alcohol limits are not based on scientific evidence.
"Basically, we pulled the numbers out of our arses when the Royal College of
Physicians was asked to provide recommended limits. There was no solid data, so we made it up. We based our figures on what we thought the Government wanted to hear. We're sorry we didn't make this clearer at the time."

Nah, only kidding.

The Department of Health says it has heard "sufficient concerns" from experts to suggest that a thorough review of the evidence on alcohol and health risks is now due.

"Clear and easily understood information is central to ensuring that everyone is aware of the risks of excessive alcohol consumption and can make informed choices about responsible drinking," it said.

Research shows that many people who drink do not realise how much they consume.

Over 9m people in England (22% of adults) reported drinking at above guideline levels in 2009.

As the guidelines are complete bollocks, this statistic is meaningless. I am not surprised, however, that the BBC is reporting it as if it were the end of Civilisation As We Know It.

Never miss an opportunity to make people miserable, that's what I say.