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News
‘No good evidence’ of risk from low-level alcohol consumption
A statistician who became world-famous for his crunching of Covid data has hit out at public health experts’ “pointless obsession” with low levels of alcohol consumption.
In a powerful and damning critique on the BBC’s World Service The Food Chain programme, Sir David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University said the link between alcohol and an early death was exaggerated.
Now available on https://t.co/yth7BAv7JV – in which I rant on about the pointless obsession with the possible overall risks of low levels of alcohol (eg UK guidelines and below). If they are there at all (for which there is no good evidence), we know they are very small.
— David Spiegelhalter (@d_spiegel) August 29, 2024
He said that statistically the overall risk of one beer or wine per day on your life expectancy — which is within current UK government guidelines — has no higher impact than driving a car or eating bacon.
Spiegelhalter said that research showed the health benefits of drinking in small amounts, as previously highlighted by the drinks business.
He added: “Frankly, I get irritated when the harms of low levels are exaggerated, particularly with claims such as ‘no level of alcohol is safe’.
“For a start I don’t think the evidence supports that, but also there’s no safe level of driving, there’s no safe level of living, but no one recommends abstention.”
He said that the risks of one or two drinks a day were “very low indeed” and “incredibly difficult to estimate” — and described the current NHS guidance on levels as “ideal”.
When discussing recent drinking guidelines in Canada of two drinks per week, he described it as “completely unnecessary”, and “tackling a non-problem”.
Public health
In addition, he called out the political risk of telling those who already drink low levels of alcohol to drink even less, as it could make them distrustful of public health officials and guidelines.
Spiegelhalter also highlighted a critical mental health component that was often missed with alcohol: that it brings the drinker joy.
Stating the social dimension was “never mentioned in these discussions”, he said that people use alcohol to ease anxiety when socialising, and that alcohol was also great for its taste — as db‘s Patrick Schmitt MW has argued — and its critical role in dining.
Spiegelhalter added: “I think we should just accept that people drink for a reason – they actually enjoy it.”
Alcohol policy
The news follows the World Health Organization claiming there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, and concerns that public health bodies could change their policies to reflect this opinion.
In addition, there have been calls to remove red wine from the so-called ‘Mediterranean diet’, and claims that numerous studies have over-promoted its health benefits.
Read more
Drink wine, have sex, advises leading French doctor
Patrick Schmitt MW: We don’t drink wine just for intoxication
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People are voting with their gullets….based on their personal experiences and available information, which is there for every intelligent adult to examine and to decide what to do.