Speaking before an audience made up of representatives of more than 40 different countries, Dr. R. Curtis Ellison of the Boston University Medical Center urged a change in the attitudes toward the moderate consumption of alcohol. Ellison said, To assure a net beneficial effect on the health of a country, public policy should focus on reducing the abuse of alcohol within society, but should not result in moderate and responsible drinkers becoming abstainers. If the latter occurs, the policy would have a net adverse effect on the health of the nation. Dr. Ellison recently conducted a study on the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption that found moderate drinkers have lower 10-year mortality rates than nondrinkers. The reduction in risk is largely due to alcohol s effect on cardiovascular health.
Moderate drinkers have a lower incidence of heart disease.
Commenting on his findings, Ellison said, Based on all of the available research data, we have to conclude that abstinence from alcohol, that being a nondrinker, is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Unlike what many people believe, for the majority of adults, abstinence is not the healthiest option. Similarly, government policies should be based on sound scientific data, and should lead to a reduction in abuse without decreasing moderate and responsible use of alcohol. Let s hope lawmakers are reminded of Dr. Ellison s recommendations the next time the subject of increasing taxes on alcohol is debated. All rights reserved.