[Sportschosun Jang Jong-ho] "Moderate drinking is good for your health." "Even one drink a day is not safe."
That has been a fierce debate for years.
But a recent analysis by U.S. researchers has added weight to the argument that there is no safe level of drinking, after finding that even small amounts of alcohol may raise the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and early death.
According to the Daily Mail and other foreign media, the study was part of the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, which began at the request of the U.S. government. The researchers analyzed about 7,200 scientific papers on alcohol-related diseases to estimate health risks by drinking level. They then combined the findings with national health data to assess long-term health effects.
◇Alcohol linked to higher risk of more than 200 diseases
The study found that people who drink about 14 drinks a week, based on the U.S. standard drink measure, face a significantly higher risk of alcohol-related early death, at roughly one in 25. By contrast, drinking seven drinks or fewer per week carried a relatively smaller increase in risk for most diseases, but the researchers said that still does not make it completely safe.
A researcher at the World Health Organization (WHO) who led the study said, "Even low levels of drinking carry health risks," adding, "The more you drink, the more the risk continues to rise."
The researchers said alcohol is associated with a higher risk of more than 200 diseases, including dementia, certain cancers and heart disease. They also said that claims suggesting moderate drinking may help heart health are outweighed by the overall health risks.
The researchers said, "Society may think of about two drinks a day as moderate drinking, but in reality it can significantly raise the risk of alcohol-related early death."
They explained that even if drinking may slightly lower the risk of ischemic heart disease or stroke, those potential benefits are offset by the risks of cancer and chronic disease. As a result, the researchers concluded that "no level of drinking was found to provide a meaningful protective effect on health."
However, the researchers drew a line at saying that every individual faces the same level of risk. They noted that risk can vary depending on lifestyle, genetic factors, drinking patterns and whether a person already has an underlying disease.
◇Men's monthly binge drinking down, women's up
Meanwhile, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)'s "Report on Monthly Binge Drinking Experience and Chronic Disease Prevalence among Annual Drinkers" (2015-2024), the monthly binge drinking rate among men fell from 61.8% in 2015 to 56.7% in 2024, while the rate among women rose from 31.2% to 33.4% over the same period. The absolute figures remained higher for men across all age groups. Monthly binge drinking rate refers to the share of people who, at least once a month over the past year, drank seven or more drinks in one sitting for men, or five or more drinks for women, equivalent to five cans of beer for men and three cans for women.
By age group, the rate fell among men in their 20s and 30s, but rose among women in their 30s.
Among men in their 20s, the monthly binge drinking rate dropped from 62.2% in 2015 to 51.6% in 2024. For men in their 30s, it fell from 69.6% to 57.2%.
Men in their 40s posted the highest rate in 2024 at 65.3%. Their monthly binge drinking rate was little changed from 64.7% in 2015.
Among women, the rate for those in their 30s rose the most over the same period, from 33.8% to 42.1%.
Among women, those in their 20s had the highest monthly binge drinking rate both in 2014, at 44.3%, and in 2024, at 44.0%.
As for binge drinking frequency, the most common pattern was about once a week for men, at 31.0%, and about once a month for women, at 14.8%.
Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
