4 ms·

> They found that out of 100,000 non-drinkers, 914 would develop an alcohol-related health problem such as cancer or suffer an injury. > But an extra four peop

> They found that out of 100,000 non-drinkers, 914 would develop an alcohol-related health problem such as cancer or suffer an injury. > But an extra four people would be affected if they drank one alcoholic drink a day. The headline is typical for this kind of health reporting. "X is not safe at any level" is like arguing about the slope of a curve without discussing it's baseline or scale.

gwd 6y ago
What's also not clear from the article is whether they controlled for other factors. People who average five drinks a day almost certainly have lives that are messed up in other ways. Did they have more cancer because they drank more, or did the thing that caused them to have cancer also cause them to drink more?
csunbird 6y ago
> an alcohol-related health problem such as cancer Since when alcohol consumption is accepted as a direct (not a risk factor, but directly responsible of) cause of cancer?
- Barrin92 6y ago
  for a while. Alcohol is a mutagen (and so is its metabolite, acetaldehyde) and it particularly increases the risk of cancer of tissue it comes into direct contact with. Esophageal, oral cavity, stomach and liver.
- doomrobo 6y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_cancer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_cancer
  - csunbird 6y ago
    Thank you for the link! I did not know that it was classified as a direct cause of cancer, I was in the opinion of it being a risk factor only.
ninjinxo 6y ago
Note: Their definition of a non-drinker is anyone who averages less than 0.8 standard drinks per day (~4 beers / glasses of wine per week). https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30728-7/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6... https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30706-8/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
vkk8 6y ago
Yes. A 0.4% increase in health problems is what most people would consider "basically safe". How does that compare to effects from other bad dietary habits many people have. For instance: * eating fast food once or twice a week * eating processed meat a few times a week * eating refined sugar

gwd 6y ago

What's also not clear from the article is whether they controlled for other factors. People who average five drinks a day almost certainly have lives that are messed up in other ways. Did they have more cancer because they drank more, or did the thing that caused them to have cancer also cause them to drink more?

csunbird 6y ago

> an alcohol-related health problem such as cancer Since when alcohol consumption is accepted as a direct (not a risk factor, but directly responsible of) cause of cancer?

Barrin92 6y ago
for a while. Alcohol is a mutagen (and so is its metabolite, acetaldehyde) and it particularly increases the risk of cancer of tissue it comes into direct contact with. Esophageal, oral cavity, stomach and liver.
doomrobo 6y ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_cancer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_cancer
- csunbird 6y ago
  Thank you for the link! I did not know that it was classified as a direct cause of cancer, I was in the opinion of it being a risk factor only.

ninjinxo 6y ago

Note: Their definition of a non-drinker is anyone who averages less than 0.8 standard drinks per day (~4 beers / glasses of wine per week). https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30728-7/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6... https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30706-8/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

vkk8 6y ago

Yes. A 0.4% increase in health problems is what most people would consider "basically safe". How does that compare to effects from other bad dietary habits many people have. For instance: * eating fast food once or twice a week * eating processed meat a few times a week * eating refined sugar