Wine drinkers who tout the drink's health benefits particularly for preventing heart attacks will have to eat their words as health experts bust this long believed myth.

The Alcohol Policy Coalition has challenged the belief that drinking red wine will help prevent heart attacks by showing international research that light drinkers are not at less risk from heart disease than non-drinkers.

The coalition released a paper presenting other studies that show that any benefits from drinking wine are outweighed by the harms brought about by drinking alcohol.

''Every drinking occasion contributes to the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol,'' the report says.

The coalition which includes the Australian Drug Foundation, the Heart Foundation and the Cancer Council of Victoria hopes the report will pressure the government into considering a reform of alcohol taxation at next month's tax summit.

Kathy Bell, the chief executive of the Victorian Heart Foundation said the foundation doesn't recommend drinking wine to prevent heart disease, cancer or liver cirrhosis.

''After reviewing all the scientific evidence it appears any positive effects of alcohol in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease have been hugely overestimated,'' Bell said.

''In particular, red wine has no special, protective qualities when it relates to cardiovascular disease.''

The coalition hopes that a tax increase on alcoholic beverages will lower Australian consumption. An effective alcohol tax could reduce the number of alcohol-related diseases in the country.

''So when Australians can buy cask wine for less than soft drink, it's little surprise we have a $15 billion drinking problem on our hands,'' Todd Harper, chief executive of Cancer Council Victoria said.