The government want to release binge drinking limits for your BNO

The government could soon be telling you exactly how many pints, bottles and shots you can drink on a big night out.

New suggestions being considered by the government would also do away with confusing units in favour of measuring drinks in terms of pints, glasses and bottles.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have suggested limits for big weekend binges instead of the current recommended daily intakes, which people ignore because they are outdated and unachievable.

Slow down lads

The study, which interviewed a cross-section of people between 18 and 65, found most thought the current UK guidelines were largely irrelevant.

Participants also complained about the use of “units” in official warnings, instead preferring measurements such as bottles or pints.

Lead researcher Dr John Holmes said: “What we found is that the guidelines at the moment kind of assume that people drink a bit too much, very often.

“In fact we were finding people saying’ I don’t drink too often but when I go out I do want to get a bit drunk’ and they didn’t see the advice as relevant.

“We have a culture where we do like to go out and have a big night, we don’t really have the Mediterranean approach of little and often, we are more part of a northern European culture which doesn’t drink so regularly, but will drink more on particular occasions.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “We want information for the public to be clear and the unit of alcohol was introduced in 1987 as a way of helping people to understand and measure how much alcohol they are drinking – whether it’s in a can, bottle or pint glass.

“But we want to keep our guidance up to date which is why our Chief Medical Officer is currently reviewing all the guidelines for drinking.”

The current recommendations are three to four units per day for men and two to three units per day for women.

Whatever that means.