Drinkers are being warned that regularly consuming even a small amount of alcohol can lead to cancer.
Government guidelines on alcohol consumption have been revised, with men being urged to halve their weekly intake from 28 to 14 units, in line with the recommendation for women.
This means the typical British adult should not be having more than six pints of beer or five 175ml glasses of wine in a seven-day period.
England's chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, said:
"Drinking any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk for anyone, but if men and women limit their intake to no more than 14 units a week, it keeps the risk of illness like cancer and liver disease low.
"What we are aiming to do with these guidelines is give the public the latest and most up-to-date scientific information so that they can make informed decisions about their own drinking and the level of risk they are prepared to take."
A bottle of wine contains about 10 units, while a pint of beer equates to 2.3 units.
Before, official guidelines suggested it was safe for men to consume 21 units a week - the equivalent of about 12 pints.
It has been stressed that the guidelines are not about safe drinking, but about managing risk.
Put simply, the more alcohol you drink, the greater the threat of cancer.
As before, it is recommended that Britons spread their units over the course of a week instead of saving them up for bingeing.
Meanwhile, fresh evidence suggests that consuming alcohol does not protect the body against heart disease as effectively as once thought.
Only women over the age of 55 may experience positive health effects when alcohol is drunk in small amounts, and there is no benefit to men whatsoever.
The report also warns that the risks of getting cancer "start from any level of regular drinking and rise with the amount being drunk".
Even consumption at low levels is linked to cancers of the lip, oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus and breast.
At higher levels, there is an increased danger of developing bowel and liver cancer.
Modelling for the study shows that, compared with non-drinkers, women who drink two units a day on a regular basis have a 16% increased chance of developing breast cancer and dying from it.
bbc
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