Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-23/no-amount-of-alcohol-use-is-safe-analysis-of-studies-finds

No Amount of Alcohol Use Is Safe, Analysis of Studies Finds
By Lucca De Paoli
and Thomas Buckley
August 23, 2018, 6:30 PM EDT

Any health benefits of drinking outweighed by associated risks
Drinking kills 2.8 million people a year, researchers say

Drinking alcoholic beverages is linked to some 2.8 million deaths each year, according to researchers who concluded that there is no safe level of alcohol use.

The chemical in beer, wine and hard liquor is associated with nearly one in 10 deaths in people ages 15 to 49 around the world, making it the leading risk factor for people in that age range, according to an analysis of earlier studies, published in the Lancet medical journal.

The combined health risks associated with alcohol outweigh any possible benefits, said the University of Washington’s Max Griswold, an author of the analysis, in a statement. Although the study found that alcohol offered some protection against coronary-artery disease in women, “the strong association between alcohol consumption and the risk of cancer, injuries and infectious diseases” offset that.

Off the Wagon

Men in the world's heaviest-drinking countries average a big daily binge

“The conclusions of the study are clear and unambiguous: alcohol is a colossal global health issue,” said Robyn Burton of King’s College London, another author. “The solutions are straightforward: Increasing taxation creates income for hard-pressed health ministries, and reducing the exposure of children to alcohol marketing has no downsides.”

The article is the latest salvo to hit alcoholic-beverage companies in a long-running debate over the safety of their products. In April, another large analysis of earlier studies, also published in the Lancet, found some reduction in heart attacks among drinkers but concluded that alcohol use increased the risk of premature death from several other ailments.

The world’s largest liquor producers, such as Smirnoff vodka owner Diageo Plc and Chivas Regal whisky maker Pernod Ricard SA, have long promoted moderation to address health concerns. They’ve adopted a drink-less-but-better mantra that seeks to appease critics while boosting the bottom line by selling more expensive products. Diageo has also acquired a minority stake in Seedlip, an alcohol-free drink that aims to deliver the depth of flavor and mouthfeel of a high-end spirit.

The main causes of alcohol-related deaths in the 15-to-49 age group were tuberculosis, road injuries and self-harm, the study found. For those older than 50, the leading alcohol-related cause of death was cancer.

The authors took data from nearly 700 previous studies to estimate the prevalence of alcohol in different countries, finding that the biggest drinkers were in European countries. The average Romanian man drank the equivalent of 8.2 bottles of beer a day in 2016, the most in the world. The countries that drink the least alcohol have mostly Muslim populations.

For millennia, Humans drank alcoholic beverages because drinking water would make them sick.

When water isn't safe to drink, then a low-proof alcoholic beverage (like the wine that Jesus drank) is an acceptable alternative.

no worries , sure they will change it later
and yes i agree potable water does not last long on long trips

and they all so didnt have the cleaning possess that we do today for water as well

reminds me i need to get more clean water drinking staws

Alcohol can become an addition for many people and some people don't know how to drink in moderation!

Oftentimes when a person does drink alcohol, at some time he or she will get drunk at least one time in their life. Probably more than once.

I just heard recently that no amount of alcohol use is safe.

Yep.. it's a good addition,.. it's my liquid joint juice..

A cardiologist once talked about moderate consumption of tequila being beneficial.

What? If you get a cut or scratch , what do you use ? Rubbing alcohol to clean the wound right.. duh
The same goes for drinking beer or hard alcohol if drinking it , it has to be good for you internal body to sterilize it ..

Yeah ive heard multiple sources saying that a moderate drinking of wine etc has benefits for your heart.. binge ,or heavy drinking is very damaging though.. huge differences

In days of the past they did use liquor as an antiseptic.

I know right? In those old western cowboy movies if someone got shot they had a bottle of whiskey to sterilze the wound .. double benefits also drink to get a buzz and clean wounds ..lol

i would sagest not drinking rubbing alcohol

We are all going to die whether we drink the alcohol or not.. so just do it if you want.. just don't abuse it... same with just about anything else.

We are all going to die whether we drink the alcohol or not.. so just do it if you want.. just don't abuse it... same with just about anything else.

I'll just say this.....me drinking alcohol has probably saved more, (others) lives, than me not drinking.

To much of anything can kill you, not just alcohol...

^^yes^^ - everything in moderation

Gin is good if you are diabetic well type 2

Nutmeg would be a good one

No amount of breathing is safe.

I quit drinking, nearly 30 years ago.
... To reduce the risk, of ever, waking up
married to a fugly chick again.