By Sein Lee, 10th grade

In many parts of the world, no party is complete without a drink. For some, a glass of wine is a great way to start a conversation with strangers. Alcohol acts as a social lubricant.

People drink for many different reasons: to celebrate, to socialize, to relieve stress, etc.

In the past, studies have shown that moderate amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, can be good for your health. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) now says there is no safe amount of alcohol for health.

According to a recent report by WHO, alcohol consumption contributes to 2.6 million deaths worldwide each year. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including colon and breast cancer.

Detailed studies show that even moderate drinking is not safe. Moderate drinking is defined here as less than 1.5 liters of wine, 3.5 liters of beer, or 450 milliliters of spirits per week.

According to the new WHO guidelines, there is no safe amount of alcohol, and the risk to a drinker’s health begins with the first drop of alcoholic beverage.

Decrease in consumption

According to the WHO, global alcohol consumption per capita has decreased slightly from 5.7 liters in 2010 to 5.5 liters in 2019. Men make up the majority of drinkers, consuming an average of 8.2 liters a year, while women consume 2.2 liters.

New opinions

Dr Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Drug Use, is convinced that the WHO’s warning is valid.

“Alcohol is inherently dangerous, and the moment you start drinking it, you’re at risk,” he said.

He conducted a meta-analysis of 107 scientific papers to find a link between low-level drinking and mortality.

The definition of low-level or moderate drinking can vary from country to country.

The British government recommends drinking no more than 14 units per week, which is equivalent to about six medium-sized glasses of wine or beer.

Dr Stockwell argues that the idea that “moderate drinking is good” stems from flawed research methodology. The questions were poorly designed, the researchers did not ask about past drinking habits, and several other important factors were ignored.

He emphasized that “moderate drinkers had higher incomes, better diets, better exercise habits, better access to health care, better teeth and slimmer waists.”

Balance of Benefits and Harms

But not everyone thinks alcohol-related risks are cause for concern.

“The obsession with understanding the risks of one or two drinks a day is really baffling,” says Professor David Spiegelhalter, an emeritus professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge, UK, who explains how we can understand risk. “There is no safe level of driving. There is no safe level of life, but no one recommends abstinence. We have to look at the balance of benefits and harms.” He is skeptical of people’s ability to accurately estimate risk.

“I think we should just accept that people drink for fun.”

He emphasizes that he is not part of the alcohol lobby or the abstinence movement, and explains why he enjoys moderate drinking:

“The risk is that it reduces your life expectancy by 1%. If you drink moderately for 50 years, that’s six months off your life, or 15 minutes a day.”

Dr. Spiegelhalter pointed out that even watching an hour of TV a day or eating a bacon sandwich twice a week carries health risks. He added that he wants adults to decide for themselves what is good for them.

Sources:

World Health Organization. (2023, January 4). No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems. (2024, April 17). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5o3MyFF6Pg

Panagioti, M., Khan, K., Keers, R. N., Abuzour, A., Phipps, D., Kontopantelis, E., Bower, P., Campbell, S., Haneef, R., Avery, A. J., & Ashcroft, D. M. (2019, July 17). Prevalence, severity, and nature of preventable patient harm across medical care settings: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The BMJ. https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l4185Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023, September 2). The truth about red wine and heart health. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281#:~:text=Red%20wine%2C%20in%20limited%20amounts,that%20leads%20to%20heart%20attacks