What is the real risk of drinking alcohol? – 02/10/2024 – Balance

In the past, several studies have suggested that moderate consumption of some alcoholic beverages, such as red wine, could be good for your health. But that has changed, according to a recent document from the WHO (World Health Organization).

Now, the WHO considers that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption for health.

The radio program The Food Chainfrom the BBC World Service, looked at the risks and benefits of drinking.

Cancer and deaths

Alcohol consumption contributed to 2.6 million deaths worldwide in 2019, according to a WHO report released in June.

Of these, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were from non-communicable diseases, including 474,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 401,000 from cancer.

Around 724,000 deaths were due to injuries such as traffic accidents, self-harm and violence.

Another 284,000 deaths were related to communicable diseases — for example, it has been proven that alcohol consumption increases the risk of HIV transmission through unprotected sex and also the risk of tuberculosis infection, by suppressing some immune system reactions.

Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including bowel and breast cancer.

An analysis by the WHO found that even light and moderate alcohol consumption, defined as less than 1.5 liters of wine, less than 3.5 liters of beer or less than 450 milliliters of spirits per week, is dangerous.

The new WHO guidelines state that there is no safe amount and that the “risk to a drinker’s health begins with the first drop of any alcoholic beverage.”

Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, is convinced about the importance of the WHO’s warning.

“Alcohol is essentially a risky substance, and the risk starts as soon as you start drinking.”

He analyzed 107 scientific articles and concluded that it cannot be said that light alcohol consumption is safe. In the study, light consumption was defined as one drink per week (> 1.30 g ethanol/day) to two drinks per day (< 25 g ethanol/day).

Stockwell argues that research with poor methodology had supported the idea that moderate alcohol consumption is healthy.

But not everyone thinks the risks of alcohol should be cause for so much concern.

“I really don’t understand this obsession with trying to understand the risks of drinking one or two drinks a day,” argues professor David Spiegelhalter.

He is professor emeritus of statistics at the University of Cambridge, UK, and explains how we can make sense of risk.

“There is no safe level of driving. There is no safe level of living, but no one recommends abstinence. We need to look at the balance between benefits and harms.”

Spiegelhalte is skeptical about our ability to accurately estimate risks.

“I think we should accept that people drink for a reason, and that’s to enjoy it.”

Assuring that he is not part of the pro or anti-alcohol lobby, Spiegelhalter explains why he likes to drink in moderation.

“Risk means decreasing the average life expectancy by at least 1%.”

“Over fifty years of drinking, a reasonable dose per day would take six months off your life or fifteen minutes off each day.”

Spiegelhalte argues that even watching TV for an hour a day or eating a bacon sandwich twice a week also poses health risks.

Stockwell also enjoys his drink and doesn’t necessarily advocate abstinence.

“If you think alcohol is a wonderful, pleasurable thing, you need to consider balancing that with the small risks to your health,” says the scientist.

Drop in consumption

WHO data also reveals that annual per capita alcohol consumption has decreased slightly worldwide — from 5.7 liters in 2010 to 5.5 liters in 2019.

Men consume an average of 8.2 liters compared to 2.2 liters by women in a year.

Some like Anna Tait, 44, who lives in Berkshire, England, are giving up alcohol altogether.

“I wouldn’t say I drank a lot, but a lot every Friday. I looked forward to opening a few beers, having gin after work and then quickly moving on to sharing a bottle of wine with my husband,” says Tait.

The same pattern was repeated on Saturday.

Tait then realized he was drinking on Thursdays and Sundays too.

But earlier this year, she started training for a marathon and her coach supported her in giving up alcohol.

Her husband is also doing weight training and they have both managed to cut down on their alcohol consumption.

“It’s been such a big change. I feel stronger and better,” says Tait.

But she says that when they are at social gatherings, her friends are a little disappointed when they realize that she and her husband are not going to get together for drinks.

Amelie Hauenstein, from Bavaria, Germany, also gave up drinking.

“I realized that I didn’t have a fun night when I didn’t drink,” says the 22-year-old.

“I wanted to stop because it’s really bad to wake up on Sunday and not know what you did the day before,” says Hauenstein, showing that he is happy with the progress he has made.