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> To identify a “safe” level of alcohol consumption, valid scientific evidence would need to demonstrate that at and below a certain level, there is no risk of illness or injury associated with alcohol consumption. The new WHO statement clarifies: currently available evidence cannot indicate the existence of a threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol “switch on” and start to manifest in the human body.…
We know that banning alcohol doesn’t work. We should do what we did for tobacco. Ban advertisements for alcohol. Do the same for other vice. If consenting adults want to engage in vice that doesn’t hurt other people such as gambling, alcohol, etc. then allow it. Just don’t allow it to be advertised. Can’t deny that as someone who has abstained from alcohol my entire life, feeling pretty smart every time more of these…
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the story is that cigarettes are well researched and documented to cause agressive lung cancers, heart disease and many other problems. the story on alcohol is much less clear and even if true, much lower risk
This is correct. Do you know what percent of lung cancer is attributable to smoking? 90%! 9/10 lung cancer deaths are attributable to smoking. Compare this to ~5% of cancer related death attributable to alcohol use. It's just not even an accurate comparison. To be honest though? I am willing to bet that cost to healthcare system for alcohol related illness is outpacing that of smoking related illness. Cirrhosis of th…
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> refuse a beer in Germany is an affront that I would like to weigh against the risk of cancer Refusing a cigarette used to have a similar insult; and also you weren’t cool if you refused That’s changed after decades of press and cancer warning labels on tobacco. Let’s hope the same happens with alcohol.
"Let’s hope the same happens with alcohol." Why? You have all the required information to make an educated decision for yourself. Others do too. Allow them to decide without harassment. I quit smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol years ago now. As the calculus changed, my habits followed suit. Everyone should be allowed to choose how they live.
vs
> To refuse a beer in Germany is an affront that I would like to weigh against the risk of cancer.
Who is harassing who if someone feels that their choice of not drinking beer will cause affront? Hoping that cultural norms will change and it will cease to be an affront to refuse a drink is not harassing. People exerting social pressure on others who refuse a beer is. That is why I'm hoping any such practices disappear.
Exactly for the reason you state, to allow each to decide without harassment.
From "I guess that means fruit juice should be illegal since it can contain alcohol!" to "Life leads to death too!". Just any justification to call the WHO's point bunk.
Denial, in a word.
This is the world's leading body on science health giving a result that I'm guessing most of us don't want to hear. Because we like alcohol and want to be told we're right for liking it.
I think the result is completely true. Just the same, I plan to keep occasionally drinking a beer, the same as I occasionally consume horrendously unhealthy food or spend too long in front of a computer screen. It's okay to do unhealthy things in moderation.
But if being told it would be best to drink only in moderation, if at all, triggers an angry response and denial, maybe you should have a sit down and think about what that means.
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This is correct. Do you know what percent of lung cancer is attributable to smoking? 90%! 9/10 lung cancer deaths are attributable to smoking. Compare this to ~5% of cancer related death attributable to alcohol use. It's just not even an accurate comparison. To be honest though? I am willing to bet that cost to healthcare system for alcohol related illness is outpacing that of smoking related illness. Cirrhosis of th…
Comparing 90% to 5% would be very silly. What percentage of cancer-related deaths are attributable to tobacco use? (In the same sense of "attributable" as for the alcohol?)
Saving you a click: https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-...
And this is the Lancet article summarising the research: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2... The proportion of cancers attributable to alcohol is 4.1% of all cases, from [1]. Of that, the ‘Light to Moderate’ alcohol category ( 1. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2...
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"Let’s hope the same happens with alcohol." Why? You have all the required information to make an educated decision for yourself. Others do too. Allow them to decide without harassment. I quit smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol years ago now. As the calculus changed, my habits followed suit. Everyone should be allowed to choose how they live.
> Allow them to decide without harassment. vs > To refuse a beer in Germany is an affront that I would like to weigh against the risk of cancer. Who is harassing who if someone feels that their choice of not drinking beer will cause affront? Hoping that cultural norms will change and it will cease to be an affront to refuse a drink is not harassing. People exerting social pressure on others who refuse a beer is. That…
The responsibility of "feeling" belongs to the individual.