It is not at all surprising to me that quite different recommendations would be reached in different countries or due to different studies with one country.

It is impossible to know what to believe. Even if we could have some faith in broad guidelines or recommendations about safe drinking levels, there is such enormous variability in how drinking affects people and how it fits with other highly variable factors such as diet and exercise, as to make any recommendations extremely general and vague and pretty meaningless.

I doubt whether we could really go too much further than to say that people would most likely be better off if they drank in moderation rather than in excess!

As to whether we would on average be better off not drinking at all compared to drinking in moderation, it is not at all clear.

Although all such guidelines are based on averages and don't apply equally to everyone, the purpose of such guidelines is to offer broad, evidence-based and objective indicators of the likely outcomes of people's levels and patterns of drinking. We know quite a bit about this matter, based on decades of research. Of course, people may have special concerns in their lives - they may be recovering from alcoholism, for instance - that they need to consider for themselves. But it can be beneficial to know the general guidelines in reaching personal decisions about drinking.

As for the specific prior comment about diet and exercise affecting the impact of drinking, this has been studied. The Harvard Health Professionals Study found that men with four health factors - good diet, normal weight, regular exercise, no smoking - had significantly fewer heart attacks within the recommended drinking levels.

It is more accurate to say that cultural sensitivities and public health politics are the crucial factors in how such standards are conceived and propagated. Alcohol is a cultural hot spot - especially in English-speaking and Scandinavian cultures (which have been labeled temperance cultures) - and inspires very emotional, culturally-based reactions. This won't change in our lifetimes, and thus the highly volatile formulation of such standards from nation to nation, and within countries over time.

It's amazing that Australia hasn't followed the American lead. It seems to do that in most other things.

Regarding drinking, I have my two glasses of wine with dinner each night and will continue to do so while ever I can hold a glass. Drinking wine with a meal is civilized and adds much to the pleasure of dining whether in or out.

Let the Australian wowsers keep their distance and stop trying to rain on my parade!