Alcohol has been declared completely and totally bad for you, no holds barred.
A recent analysis of data from nearly 700 studies in The Lancet medical journal (via Bloomberg) found that there is absolutely no benefit to drinking alcohol as its health risks far outweigh any benefits you might get from it, like winding down after a long day or being able to tolerate people you can’t stand for a few hours at a time.
“The conclusions of the study are clear and unambiguous: alcohol is a colossal global health issue,” said study author Robyn Burton in The Lancet, going on to suggest that alcohol should be taxed more heavily and not advertised to children.
The downside of alcohol plays out for everyone regardless of age: It’s the leading cause of tuberculosis, self-harm, and driving injuries among those 15 to 49, the study found, and the leading cause of cancer in those over age 50.
Time to switch to $15 mocktails, then.
