Alcohol is an accepted part of almost all societies. It is so engrained in socializing and entertainment, easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive that few think twice about taking a drink or two. Certainly, we know about alcoholism and recognize alcoholics, especially when they are on "skid row," but we don’t usually think of alcohol as a dangerous drug. But perhaps we should. Scientific reports reveal that alcohol may be among the most dangerous drugs, illegal or legal, that exist. In the U.S., approximately 88,000 people die a year from alcohol-related causes — including more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth1 — and in 2014, alcohol caused 9,967 driving fatalities in the U.S.2 Worldwide, 5.9% of deaths are attributable to alcohol.3 Why is alcohol not demonized the way tobacco is? There are at least two reasons, say public health experts. One is that the alcohol lobby has bought favorable media coverage through donations and partnerships with public health groups and even government agencies. The other reason is that illegal drugs usually receive the brunt of bad publicity even when the legal drug, alcohol, may do more damage. Alcohol Is More Harmful Than Many RealizeWhile most people are aware of drunk driving fatalities and the possible effects of excessive alcohol consumption on the liver, there are other serious consequences from drinking alcohol that are less well publicized. For example, alcohol is strongly linked to mouth cancers and cancers of the pharynx, larynx, esophagus, rectum, colon and breast. It is even linked to cancers of the pancreas and lung.4 The carcinogenic effect of alcohol "is unmistakably proportional to the daily/weekly dosage," according to research published in the Hungarian journal Magyar Onkologia.5 Alcohol, or ethanol as it is called in the medical profession, metabolizes into the known carcinogen acetaldehyde, which exerts negative actions:6
Further, alcohol can encourage colon cancer, according to a report in the journal Evidence Report/Technology Assessment:7
Alcohol Can Contribute to Breast CancerThe most common cancer in U.S. women is breast cancer and it is the second biggest cause of their cancer deaths. There is a strong correlation between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and breast cancer, according to a study published in the journal Alcohol:8
Because of the oxidative damage alcohol causes and its effects on the insulin-like growth factor-1 and genes, "Even modest daily alcohol intake will increase the risk of breast cancer," concludes the journal Magyar Onkologia.9 The heightened breast cancer risk likely comes from alcohol's increase of estrogen, suggests research in Evidence Report/Technology Assessment:10
Alcohol Is Often Linked to Violence"Rape culture" and rapes on U.S. campuses are increasingly reported but their link to alcohol consumption is not always included. Social researchers do not think that alcohol, in and of itself, makes people violent or rapists but rather that it boosts the behavior in those with violent tendencies.11 According to research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs:12
Children also experience violence as the result of alcohol consumption, a study published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect found:13
Alcohol is also correlated with depressive effects in its users and problems in their daily lives, such as trouble in interpersonal relationships including marriage.14 Alcoholic Beverage Makers Have Spun a Good ImageAs I mentioned before, alcohol has not been demonized like tobacco and street drugs. In fact, you do not have to look too far to see reports that alcohol is even healthful and that moderate drinkers live longer than non-drinkers. How has alcohol's positive image been created and maintained? Two years after launching its Global Smart Drinking Goals campaign in 2015,15 Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest beer brewer,16 debuted its Ab Inbev Foundation.17 "Built around the idea that partnerships can play an important role in reducing the harmful use of alcohol,” it "works through a collaborative model, with our staff, the City Pilot Steering Committees, and our partners," says the brewer.18 But, according to a commentary in the British journal The Lancet, the Ab Inbev Foundation is no different in intent and hypocrisy than Philip Morris International's Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.19 You could even add the hypocrisy of Juul Labs claiming to "transition the world’s billion adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes, eliminate their use, and combat underage usage of our products" while hooking children on vaping.20 The Ab Inbev Foundation betrays unabashed conflicts of interest says the Lancet:21
For example, a member of the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Global Violence Prevention in 2011 was Amie Gianino who was identified as "Senior Global Director, Beer & Better World, Anheuser-Busch InBev."22 Why is the alcohol industry considered a valid government presenter on these topics? Anheuser-Busch InBev is not the only alcohol giant pretending to be concerned with global health while selling health-destroying products. The Carlsberg Foundation, one of the world's leading brewery groups,23 created UNLEASH for young people working on "solutions to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."24 It also works with government groups, says the Lancet commentary.25 More Deception From Alcohol Beverage ManufacturersHow have alcohol beverage makers been able to minimize the considerable cancer links to their products? According to Drug and Alcohol Review:26
At least one partnership between government and the alcohol industry was flagged as a conflict of interest. In 2018, Heineken, the world's second biggest brewer, and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced a partnership to tackle infectious diseases in Africa. But, according to a Lancet editorial:27
Other public health groups such as the NCD (noncommunicable disease) Alliance concurred.28
The partnership was suspended in 2018, not due to public health concerns but, rather, amid allegations that Heineken’s use of female beer promoters was sexually exploitative and unhealthy.29 Other Alcohol Conflicts of Interest ExistPublic health organizations have seen the value in taxing tobacco and sugar-sweetened beverages because of the clear harm they do. Yet alcohol taxes and control strategies lag behind, says the Lancet. For example:30
Moreover, some research-based charities like the U.K.-based Wellcome Trust actually invest in alcohol beverage makers, says the Lancet commentary.31
We have long seen how junk food manufacturers like Coca-Cola have skewed research about the health effects of their products and tried to form partnerships that made them look health conscious. It is no surprise that alcoholic beverage makers would sink to the same dirty tricks. It’s important to take their messages with a grain of salt. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/25/why-we-minimize-risks-of-alcohol.aspx
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