英將出臺限酒令 或制定每日飲酒上限

Alcohol guidelines should be updated to include a ‘binge drinking limit’ – the maximum amount that should be consumed in one day, an expert has told MPs.
　　一位專家建議國會議員說，酒精條例應該更新了，新內容之中應該包括一項關於過度飲酒的限制，比如每天最多能喝多少。

Nick Heather, a professor of alcohol and drug studies, said that on no account should overall recommended drinking levels be raised.

一位研究酒精和藥物的專家，尼克·希瑟說無論如何，飲酒的水平的都不應該提高。

Instead, the Government should issue advice on safe drinking limits for a week – and give an upper limit for any one day.

相反的是，政府給出的飲酒的安全範圍卻是一週，並且認爲任何一天都可以達到飲酒的上線。

Professor Heather said the ‘binge drinking limit’ could be set to eight units a day, ‘or maybe a bit lower’. He suggested it could be six units for women.

希瑟教授說，限酒令將每天喝酒的量規定在8個單位以內，或者比這個更低。他還說，女士6各單位量就足夠了。

A can of lager or a standard (175ml) glass of wine contains two units, so this would set the upper limit at four glasses of wine or four cans of lager. Six to eight shots of spirits would also fit the criteria.

一大罐或是175ml的葡萄酒差不多是兩個單位，換句話說，四杯或是四罐葡萄酒就是上限了。6到8杯的烈酒也符合這個標準。

Downing large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time does more damage to the heart and liver than spreading the same amount over several days.

短時間內大量的飲酒對心臟及肝臟都不好，而且這種方式喝酒相較於每天喝等量的來說，傷害更大。

The drunkenness can also fuel violence, unplanned pregnancies and relationship breakdowns.

醉酒也同樣會帶來暴力，意外懷孕和關係破裂。

The Government recommends men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day and women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day.

政府倡議男士們每天喝3到4個單位的酒，而女士們們天喝2到3單位即可。

But it does not give specific advice on binge drinking.

但是，在酗酒方面卻沒有明確規定。

Professor Heather said the belief that small amounts of alcohol are good for health was much stronger in the past than it is today.

希瑟教授說，現在每天少量飲酒的好處比過去更多。

He later told the Mail: ‘There is some evidence that even for fairly light drinking, it is a good idea to give the body a rest and give the liver a rest.

他告訴每日郵報，“現在有證據證明每天少量飲酒能讓身體和肝臟放鬆。”

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, former president of the Royal College of Physicians and a liver expert, said: ‘As someone who still looks after people with liver disease, and with hospital admissions rising, I think any recommendation to increase limits would sail against the tide of harm that we are seeing in our hospitals every day.’

來自英國皇家醫師學會的前校長，肝臟專家伊恩·吉爾莫說，“當我看到人們照顧着生命的人，醫院有越來越多的人住院，我認爲適當的增加飲酒限制這一做法是該揚帆起航了。我們期待着看到它逆風而上，和疾病作鬥爭的過程。”

But Dr Richard Harding, who helped draw up the limits in 1995, argued that small amounts of alcohol can be good for health and urged the committee to retain ‘a sense of perspective’ in any decision it makes.

但是，1995年參與起草該項限令的理查德·哈丁博士堅持認爲少量飲酒有益身心，敦促委員會繼續保留。

He said that, for instance, the improved heart health that comes with moderate drinking outweighs any increased risk of breast cancer in older women.

他說，適量飲酒相對於導致女性的乳腺癌的概率增加之外，它對心臟健康的好處遠遠超出這個。

The committee also heard calls for sensible drinking campaigns to be run independently of the drinks’ industry. It will hear evidence from the Department of Health before coming up with its recommendations.

委員會除了聽取制酒工業方面人的意見之外，還將會聽取健康中心的建議。

All pubs and bars could be allowed to stay open late for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend under Government plans.

根據政府的計劃，所有的酒吧將會在女王鑽石婚紀念日的週末開到很晚。