No safe level of alcohol consumption, major study concludes
Published 18 Sep 2018
Giving up drinking completely is the only way to avoid the health risks associated with alcohol, according to a major new study.
Alcohol-related problems kill around 7 per cent of men and 2 per cent of women every year, and drinking is the leading cause of death and disability for people aged 15-49.
Though previous research has shown moderate levels of drinking may protect against heart disease, the new study concluded any supposed boosts to health are massively offset by the costs.
The researchers covered 195 countries between 1990 and 2016, and amassed data from hundreds of other studies.
“With the largest collected evidence base to date, our study makes the relationship between health and alcohol clear – drinking causes substantial health loss, in myriad ways, all over the world,” said Dr Max Griswold from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, one of the study’s lead authors.
They estimated that one drink a day increases the risk of developing an alcohol-related diseases including cancer, diabetes and tuberculosis by 0.5 per cent. This shot up to 7 per cent for those having two drinks a day, and 37 per cent for five drinks.
The findings emerge after another report found the drinks sector in the UK relies on people drinking above government limits for nearly 40 per cent of its revenues.
Official guidelines currently state that to keep alcohol health risks low, it is safest to avoid consuming more than 14 units a week – about seven pints of lager – on a regular basis.
However, the UK’s chief medical officers have previously stated that despite this allowance, there is “no safe level of alcohol consumption” – a point that has been reinforced by this study.
“There is a compelling and urgent need to overhaul policies to encourage either lowering people’s levels of alcohol consumption or abstaining entirely,” said Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, who also worked on the new research.
“The myth that one or two drinks a day are good for you is just that – a myth. This study shatters that myth.”
The findings were broadly welcomed by scientists and NGOs as a decisive statement on the impact drinking has on society.
Dr Tony Rao, a psychiatrist at King’s College London who was not involved in the study, commended the effort to unravel the complicated relationship between alcohol and health.
“We can now be more confident that there is no safe limit for alcohol when considering overall health risks,” he said.
Are you shocked by these findings? Do you find yourself ever going over the 14 units a week limit?
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Twitter22 comments
@Chrissy1953 Good luck to you girl, I do know how you feel, never described myself as an alcoholic but boy could I drink, a lot of my years were just a blur but I'm in my 70s now and I do have it under control but as you yourself know it takes a lot of hard work and determination but reading your post it really does seem as if you have that determination in abundance so I wish you well for the future, and as I have found over the years you have to choose your friends wisely
@Lorkinn Normally low self esteem causes people to drink as in my case, also you feel you always have 'friends' in a pub situation so you just carry on until it becomes such a habit it really is difficult to stop
I dont drink because of all the medication I'm on but when I was a in my 20s I used to love going out for a drink with my friends but only week ends now I I'm older I have seen what it can do to people I have lost a lot of my friends to sclerosis of the liver ,cancer ,diabetes, etc so in a way I'm glad that I dont drink now but if I go out for a meal I do like a small glass of white wine but I only go out if family come to see me and that's not every week more like every six months lol .tiggs
@Tigger.co.uk @jaycee @nineteen_gale @Lorkinn @Chrissy1953 Thank you all for sharing and good luck with your various battles.
Have you all read our testimonial about alcoholism? It comes from our French platform and the man describes his helplessness as he watched his wife succumb to alcoholism. It is a poignant read and opens up a way to see addiction not only from the point of view of the addict. You can read it by clicking here.
Also, don't forget that we have a group dedicated to "Living with alcoholism". Feel free to post there and see what other members have to say. You can access this group by clicking here.
What I find particularly offensive with people that drink to much is the wasted hospital time this people take up on a weekly basis. I would like to see these people made to pay if the problem they are attending hospital for is drink related and the punishment for assaulting NHS much severe with lengthy prison sentences.
i used to drink many years ago but when my illness began to become serious I gave it up completely and do not miss it at all. I know some people find it relaxes them,and for others it lifts the spirit, but I have found there are other ways of obtaining these benefits without drinking. To sit out by the waterfall by my pond on a summers evening with a beautiful sun setting,that’s relaxation for me.
The facts of the research into alcohol consumption are quite conclusive and I think should be better advertised to the general public.
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