New alert on 'safe drinking'

Government advice on "safe" drinking levels could double your risk of heart disease, major new research has found.

The 15-year study of more than 3,000 drinkers also found the effects of binge drinking have been massively underestimated.

The research even throws doubt on well-publicised previous claims that drinking a glass of red wine a day can be beneficial.

The finding is set to reignite the row about the Government's hugely controversial relaxation of licensing laws.

It also comes as Britain's two biggest supermarket chains said they would start selling alcohol round the clock. Tesco and Sainsbury's both plan to apply for 24-hour licences under the new legislation, which came into force last month.

Health campaigners warned that drinkers would use the stores for new supplies when local pubs and clubs had closed for the night. Their concerns are likely to be further increased next week when Gordon Brown is set to unveil a Budget for drinkers. He is planning to freeze tax on spirits - and to keep rises in beer and wine duty to a minimum, the Evening Standard has learned. However, today's research suggests the Government's advice on drinking could be contributing to a health time-bomb.

It found people who drank 14 units per week, below the recommended "safe" amount for men and women in Britain, had more than double the risk of contracting heart disease than those who drank nothing.

Experts today called for "safe" alcohol limits to be slashed in light of the research.

Professor Luc Djousse, an expert at Boston University in America, said: "It might be a good thing to recommend no alcohol." The new study was carried out by the University of California's Dr Mark Pletcher, who analysed the hearts of more than 3,000 Americans aged 33-45 using a CAT scanner.

The team then studied 15 years of alcohol consumption records from each subject to find out how much it had affected their health.

Dr Pletcher admitted the results were "a great surprise". The finding contrasts with the widely held view that drinking in moderation - about two drinks per day for men and one for women - can help protect against heart disease.

Dr Pletcher said he was confident this held true for people who were over 55 and at risk of heart disease. But researchers are unclear whether the health benefits of alcohol begin to accrue early in life.

The researchers also found the effects of binge drinking - more than five drinks at a time - were far greater than previously thought. Professor Robin Touquet of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, said: "There is no benefit for people under 40 drinking alcohol."