Should Kiwis abstain from alcohol? A new global study finds there could be more health risks than we think.
There is no safe level of alcohol consumption, a new global study finds.
"Alcohol is linked to seven types of cancer we know about and liver disease which has risen over decades in the UK...those risks actually outweigh any benefits so what the study is saying is that for health overall the best thing we can do is not drink at all," says co-author of Global Burden of Disease Study Linda Bauld.
The research spanned nearly 200 countries, including New Zealand, over the span of 26 years, finding while some moderate drinking could protect against heart disease, the risk of other health problems outweighed the benefits.
"It confirms what we've known for some time, there are health risks from even low levels of alcohol use on a regular basis," says Dr Nicki Jackson from Alcohol Healthwatch.
The study, published in the Medical Journal, The Lancet, found alcohol is the leading risk factor for death and disease globally and is linked to one in 10 deaths in people aged 15 to 49-years-old.
Diseases included heightened risks of cancer, road injuries and tuberculosis.
Studies concluded even one drink a day could put people at risk, further advising governments should consider recommending people to abstain from alcohol completely.
Some argue however, this could be an overreaction.
"Its no argument for abstention just because there is no safe level. Afterall, there's no safe level of driving there is no safe level of going on holiday," said David Spiegelhalter from Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge University.
Kiwi experts aren't surprised by the results and say this is yet another reason to look at the way we drink.
In New Zealand the Ministry of Health guidelines suggest no more than two standard drinks a day for women, and three for men with at lease two alcohol free days every week, but the advice comes with the warning that low-risk drinking is not no risk.
This has been extremely important for those in alcohol support groups.
"We need to be aware of what the risks are and those risks do begin at low level of consumption and so its being aware of those risks and knowing how much you are drinking," says Ms Jackson.
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