The ‘moderate drinking’ myth. Study debunks wildly reported benefits

The supposed ‘benefits’ of moderate drinking have been widely reported in the past few years, after different studies suggested it contributes to better health or wellbeing. Now, British and American researchers have called them into question.

Looking at information on more than 9,000 people born across England, Scotland and Wales in 1958, researchers from the UCL Institute of Education’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) and Pennsylvania State University tracked changes in people’s drinking and cigarette smoking habits from age 23 to 55, and linked this to their mental and physical health over the same period.

The study, shared by UCL Institute of Education notes that light to moderate drinkers had no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, the current maximum recommended for men and women by the UK’s Department of Health. This is equivalent to roughly six pints of beer or six medium glasses of wine. Also, about one-third of men and women in the study said they drank at this light to moderate level from ages 23 to 55.

This group was also very unlikely to smoke during that time. These people reported the best health and quality of life in middle age, compared to those who drank lightly to moderately but also smoked, those who both drank more heavily and smoked, or those who refrained from alcohol or cut back their drinking over time.

Researchers say that despite multiple reports talked about the supposed ‘benefits‘ of moderate drinking, or even the ‘risks’ of abstaining from alcohol, many have failed to take into account people’s lifetime health and histories of substance use.

For example, scientists say, light to moderate drinkers slipped into poor health if they were former smokers or still had the occasional cigarette. This may be either a direct effect of smoking on health or because smoking often goes hand-in-hand with other unhealthy behaviours such as poor diet or lack of exercise.

Researchers add that about a quarter of men and women reported quitting or cutting back their drinking over the course of adult life. Many of these people began adulthood in poorer physical or mental health than their peers. At age 55, those who abstained from alcohol included former heavy drinkers, those who quit after falling into ill health, and those with long-term health problems who never took up drinking.

Health benefits of modest drinking habits can also be overstated if they are not separated from the benefits of education, which is well-known to be linked to better adult health, the researchers note. Having few or no educational qualifications was also associated with little or no drinking. On the other hand, men and women with the highest educational qualifications at age 23 were more likely than their peers to drink at light to moderate rates throughout their adult lives, and were unlikely to take up smoking.

“This research demonstrates the importance of understanding lifetime drinking habits before leaping to the conclusion that moderate alcohol consumption has any benefits. Our drinking habits also need to be considered within the context of our wider lives, including our education and health. Longitudinal research like this helps us get to the bottom of key questions in public health and other areas,” Professor George Ploubidis, CLS’s Research Director & Chief Statistician, said.

“This interesting study provides yet more evidence that any benefits associated with drinking alcohol are smaller than previously thought. The UK’s chief medical officers are clear in their drinking guidelines that the risk of illnesses, including certain types of cancer, increases with any amount of alcohol drunk, however little,” Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, added.

Scientists underline that while less than 2 percent of 55-year-olds said they had never drunk alcohol in their lives, about 1 in 5 of these people had previously reported drinking when they were younger. This suggests, researchers say, it is not uncommon for those who drink very little to misremember previous drinking habits.

According to the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, the government has a responsibility to ensure the public are aware of the harms associated with alcohol, by mandatory labelling of all alcohol products, and government-backed national mass media campaigns.

The study ‘Alcohol and Cigarette Use From Ages 23 to 55: Links With Health and Well-Being in the Long-Term National Child Development’ was recently published in Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.