Lower risk drinking guidelines and the ‘no safe level’ message: Finding a balance in risk communication

In an editorial, the authors Robyn Burton and James Nicholls state that in recent years, the message that there is ‘no safe level’ of alcohol consumption has become increasingly prominent in academic research, health guidance and advocacy materials. At the same time, many countries continue to promote ‘low risk’ drinking guidelines, which describe levels of consumption associated with relatively low risk. Both messages are well established, but surprisingly little has been written about how they interrelate. The ‘no safe level’ statement refers to the absence of a biologically risk-free threshold for certain health outcomes, particularly cancer. However, depending on how it is interpreted, it may be understood as implying that abstinence is the behavioural ideal. By contrast, drinking guidelines seek to reduce risk without implying that all drinking is problematic. In alcohol health communications, the relationship between these two messages can be ambiguous—particularly if ‘no safe level’ is understood as prescriptive rather than advisory.