Pernod Ricard a republié ceci
It is so important that the media accurately report on scientific studies on alcohol and health. The New York Times has just published a misleading article (1) on a new study (2) looking at the health implications of alcohol consumption among older adults, which does not accurately reflect the full extent of the study’s findings. The article claims the study shows that there are no benefits of light to moderate drinking, and any consumption increases the risk of mortality, especially for cancer. What the study actually suggests is that several other factors affect the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality risk, including cancer mortality. The study clearly states “low-risk drinking was associated with higher mortality among older adults with health-related or socioeconomic risk factors.” The study goes on to show that, when adjusting for these factors, “low risk” and “moderate risk” drinkers face the same mortality risk as occasional drinkers*. The study is quite emphatic in this regard: “no associations were found for low- or moderate-risk drinking patterns vs occasional drinking among individuals without socioeconomic or health-related risk factors…” So, the study’s main finding is that the increased risk for low and moderate drinkers appears to be restricted only to individuals with at least one existing risk factor. Indeed, the study also found a reduced risk of both cancer and all-cause mortality among individuals who consume alcohol with meals. This research should be considered in the context of the hundreds of studies of alcohol and mortality risks, many of which are meta-analyses (3) (which pool the results of multiple studies and can be a stronger form of evidence) and the World Health Organisation’s most recent publication (4, Table 2.10 p.43) on alcohol and health, which show a lower risk of certain health conditions at low-moderate levels of consumption. Much of the recent reporting on alcohol and health gives the impression that the consumption of alcohol is responsible for a growing global health crisis. However, the reality is quite different. In their most recent report on alcohol and health from 25 June (4), the WHO set out comprehensive evidence that shows a 20% decline in alcohol-related deaths from 2010 to 2019 around the world. IARD members acknowledge the potential health consequences of harmful drinking, which is why we promote a culture of moderation and responsibility, among those who choose to drink, including placing moderation messaging on labels and online. But misleading consumers about the risks of low and moderate drinking does not support informed choices. It simply switches people off from important advice about responsible consumption and won’t help further these positive trends. For all links and footnotes, please see the first comment.