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British statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter from the University of Cambridge stated in the BBC World program "The Food Chain" that the connection between alcohol consumption and premature mortality is exaggerated. Spiegelhalter gained significant recognition through his analyses of Covid data. In his view, research has clearly demonstrated that the consumption of alcohol in small amounts has health benefits. He said, "It annoys me when the harms from small amounts are exaggerated, particularly with statements like 'no alcohol level is safe.'" Statistically speaking, the overall risk of one glass of wine per day for life expectancy is no higher than the risk from driving a car or consuming bacon. He describes recommendations of a maximum of two alcoholic drinks per week or even abstaining from alcohol as "completely unnecessary" and as "managing a non-problem: There is no safe level for driving, no safe level for normal life, but no one recommends abstinence here.".
Spiegelhalter criticized the "senseless obsession" of some health experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) for low alcohol consumption or total abstinence. He pointed to the social dimension and the psychological component associated with alcohol enjoyment. The positive effects on these components are "never mentioned" in discussions. Unnecessary panic-mongering could make people distrustful of health authorities and politics. "I think we should simply accept that people drink for a reason – they actually enjoy it," the researcher concluded.
(al / source: drinksbusiness)