New advice published by the UK’s Chief Medical Officer this month [January 2016] says men and women who drink regularly should consume no more than 14 units a week - equivalent to around seven pints of lager or four large glasses of wine. The new drinking guidelines (the first to be released for 20 years) mean men are advised to drink no more than women for the first time.

Previous guidance advised women should drink no more than 2-3 units  and men no more than 3-4 units a day.

Groups of experts have met over the last two and a half years to consider the evidence on the health effects of alcohol; and they have reported that the risk of developing a range of illnesses increases with any amount you drink on a regular basis.

The expert group who have studied all the evidence have been quite clear that there are a number of serious diseases, including certain cancers, that can be caused even when drinking less than 14 units weekly; and whilst they judge the risks to be low, this means there is no level of regular drinking that can be considered as completely safe.

Alcohol Could Risk Your Health And Your Wealth

The level of insurance premium charged to a customer is determined by statistics and mathematical calculations done by the underwriting department of the insurance company and depends on statistical data that exists about life history, age and health.

Everyone that applies for insurance goes through the underwriting process and there is no doubt that analysis of expert reports like the one published in relation to alcohol will be taken into account in order to calculate risk and insurance premiums.

Obviously we will all make our own judgements as to risks we are willing to accept from alcohol, whether to drink alcohol, and how much and how often to drink. But if your behaviour is thought to put you at higher risk, you can expect to be charged higher premiums for your life insurance in the future.

So, there is no time like the present to think about changing your drinking habits (if you drink more than advised) and get a quote for life insurance, before this new report is taken into account when determining your premiums.

At Essential Insurance we provide no nonsense advice and policies to suit your family’s needs. We’ll search and compare policies from UK leading insurers and you’ll get your own experienced advisor to help you get the cover you need at the right price for your budget.

You can contact us on 0800 612 8005 or click here and we’ll contact you.