The guidelines which aim to encourage responsible alcohol consumption are meant to inform the public about the risks they take when choosing to consume alcohol, but how seriously they will be taken is a moot point.
They appear to have become confused with binge drinking which most people understand to be drinking with the intention of getting intoxicated.
The Australian Drug Foundation says the amount drunk to reach such a state is dependent on a myriad of factors including gender, weight, height and age, as well as what is being drunk.
The new guidelines which have been developed by experts in alcohol and addiction studies should however make it clearer what constitutes "risky drinking" and the immediate risks of violence, sexual assault and car accidents, apart from the long-term health effects.
The research based guidelines say that choosing to drink more than two alcoholic drinks in one sitting increases the risk of harm to 1 in 100 and the risk increases exponentially with each subsequent drink.
The message suggested is that after more than two drinks, precautions to protect yourself against any immediate harm should be taken.
It is hoped the guidelines will raise awareness about the issues surrounding safe drinking and encourage people to consider their alcohol consumption as 3,400 Australians die from alcohol-related disease and injury every year.