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Jane Moir

If you are planning a party this weekend, don't invite the Consumer Council.

 Festivities would begin - and end - with one glass of wine for men and only half a glass for women.

 The consumer watchdog gave the sobering news yesterday that anything above these daily levels would be considered excessive for Hong Kong people.

 But this is half the daily limit recommended in countries such as the United States and Britain, according to community medicine and nutrition expert Dr Linda Koo Chih-ling from Hong Kong University.

 'In the United States, the National Research Council recommends [daily intake be limited to] two beers, two glasses of wine or two cocktails' for men, with the figure being halved for women, said Dr Koo.

 The Consumer Council was 'probably trying to cut things in half' based on drinking trends among Hong Kong people and the fact that many Chinese lack enzymes that break down alcohol.

 'They probably don't want to encourage people to drink,' she said.

 The council said it was acting in view of the growing popularity of wine drinking, based on advice from the US Food and Drug Administration. But Dr Koo said the administration made no specific recommendations.

 However, a recent Hong Kong University survey found that about three or four in every 100 people drink alcohol daily. Their intake is well above the Consumer Council's recommendations - they average 2.4 glasses of alcohol a day, up from 2.2 glasses last year.

 The Consumer Council levels are also way below those recommended by researchers looking into the health benefits of red wine.

 For example, Harvard University heart researcher Dr Charles Hennkens has proclaimed that two to three drinks a day for men protects against heart disease.

 Researchers from the French National Institute of Health have found that moderate amounts of alcohol appear to help brain function in women.



Council's drink advice makes sobering news