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Sharing a glass of wine between three is the safe way to drink

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Harper's BAZAAR

Sharing a glass of red wine or a beer between three is the safest way to drink, according to a new survey.

Former government advisor David Nutt, who was fired from his former role over his claims that alcohol is more harmful than some drugs, says his recent studies compounded his beliefs. His independent group, Drug Science, found that alcohol is more harmful than heroin and crack cocaine, tobacco, cannabis and ecstasy in the UK, Europe and Australia.

Nutt says the safest way to drink is by sharing a glass of wine or a pint of beer between three friends. He claims the optimal dose of wine is 5gm a day, about a third of a glass of wine or half a pint of light beer.

“We see a continual attempt to undermine the concept of alcohol harm by saying it has health benefits,” he said. “Alcohol doesn’t protect you."

“Every family in Britain is damaged to some extent by alcohol," he continued. "If not in terms of physical or psychological damage, then in terms of the financial damage that excess drinking causes.”

Professor Nutt, Head of the Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, at Imperial College, said no clampdowns on alcohol had been enforced despite its damaging potential. He claimed that attempts to end drugs in prison had resulted badly as drug testing in prisons had led to the rise of boom in synthetic cannabinoids, known as spice, which is thought to be more lethal. Unlike cannabis, spice is unlikely to remain in your body for an extended duration, making it a popular choice among inmates.

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