The New Zealand Medical Journal · Jul 31, 2026

Aotearoa New Zealand's outdated low-risk drinking advice: the need for review

By Akter T, Newcombe D, Towers A et al.

Alcohol remains a major contributor to preventable morbidity and mortality in Aotearoa New Zealand, generating substantial health, social and economic harm. Current low-risk drinking advice, last updated in 2011, no longer reflects contemporary evidence on alcohol-related risk. Internationally, several countries have revised their guidance in response to strengthened evidence that even low levels of consumption increase the risk of disease. This viewpoint argues that Aotearoa New Zealand's low-risk drinking advice is now overdue for review. Updating national guidance is necessary to ensure that alcohol-related risk is communicated accurately and transparently and to provide a clearer foundation for clinical practice and policy. However, on its own, such advice cannot reduce alcohol-related harm, as information alone cannot address the structural conditions that produce it. The impact of evidence-based advice depends on the broader regulatory, commercial and social environments in which alcohol is produced, marketed and consumed. A review process must therefore be embedded within a wider strategy that addresses structural drivers of harm and prioritises equity, including obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

doi.org/10.26635/6965.7516Open accessPubMed 42532012Industry & policy