The government has failed so far to convince the general public of the dangers of excessive drinking of alcohol, MPs have heard.

The potentially serious harms from drinking are not accepted by the public in the same way that harms from smoking or being obese are, public health minister Anne Milton told MPs on the parliamentary science and technology committee.

The committee was holding an evidence session on 26 October as part of its inquiry into the evidence base for government alcohol guidance and how well guidelines are communicated to the public.

MPs asked whether the existing alcohol guidelines were there just as public information or if they were designed to change …