THOSE FEW PINTS many of us enjoy over the week may actually be even more harmful than we all think, according to two new reports.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published a report today to support an update to Ireland’s low-risk alcohol guidelines. 

The guidelines set out the amount of alcohol you can consume in a week that poses a low risk to your healthy and wellbeing.

The current guidelines say that low risk alcohol consumption is 11 standard drinks per week for women and 17 standard drinks per week for men.

The HSE also recommends that people never drink more than six standard drinks on any one occasion.

A standard drink generally is half a pint of beer, 100ml of wine or a single measure of spirits.

The current guidelines were last revised in 2015. 

The report found a substantial amount of risk occurred among people drinking lower levels of alcohol and showed a strong linked between the rate of hospital admissions and alcohol consumption. 

HIQA also examined the risk of death before age 75 and years of life lost and found a strong link between these and alcohol consumption. 

The estimated risk differences between men and women was minimal which HIQA said shows there is no strong basis for sex-specific guidelines. 

This report was requested by the Department of Health and will be used to inform an update on the low risk guidelines.