Think about cancer before drinking – Davies

England’s chief medical officer has urged women to “do as I do” and think about cancer before having a glass of wine.

Speaking to a Common’s select committee on Tuesday, Dame Sally Davies (pictured) said she weighs up the risk of breast cancer before each glass of wine and added that she doesn’t know many men who drink more than half a glass of wine a day.

She told MPs: “Do as I do when I reach for my glass of wine – think ‘Do I want the glass of wine or do I want to raise my own risk of breast cancer?’ I take a decision each time I have a glass.”

Davies’ comments come soon after the release of her revised ‘alcohol guidelines’ which saw the recommended weekly allowance for both men and women reduced to 14 units a week.

The new recommendations have drawn strong criticism, scorn and mockery from various quarters and accusations that they represent “nanny state” attitudes to alcohol consumption and wilfully ignore many other papers that show various health benefits of moderate drinking.

Addressing the House of Commons science and technology committee on Monday this week, she insisted the advice was sensible, claiming: “I don’t know many men who drink half a glass of wine every day.”

She also added that claims red wine in particular could protect the heart were not as strong as previously thought, saying the NHS had “done so much with statins” and other treatments for heart disease that the case for drinking wine was weak.

She reiterated that the guidance was “advice not instruction” and concluded: “I would be done if I didn’t tell people the science. I have to tell the truth and make sure that it’s out there and it should be 14 units [per week] spread over a few days for both men and women.”