ALCOHOL: OUR SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE ADDICTIVE POISON!

Volume 5 Issue 4 Apr 2015

Cardiovascular deaths account for 34% of the alcohol attributable deaths! And yet alcohol industry’s propaganda is
that we better drink it to protect our heart! Following facts clarified my doubts.

a) The evidence for their claim is weak: A meta-analysis on this issue by Fillmore KM, et.al. (2007) has shown that if studies with methodological flaws are eliminated, the beneficial hypothesis of alcohol no longer holds true.

b) Whereas, the evidence for damage to heart done by alcohol, in the usual pattern that people end up drinking, is unequivocal. (Source: ‘WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004’)

Assuming the claim to be true, hypothetically prevented cardio-vascular deaths in males in 2003	88,000
Actual cardio-vascular male deaths due to alcohol	4,66,000
Actual total male deaths due to alcohol	20,39,000

c) Strong evidence that this is definitely not true for Indians: A recent multi-centric Indian study, with strength
of a large sample size (11898 men), observed that the risk for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) increased even
with light or occasional alcohol intake. This study also found that the impact of locally manufactured and
branded alcohol on CHD was similar – Roy A. et.al., Atherosclerosis, 2010

Pattern of alcohol use	Odds of CHD
Life time abstainers	1
Occasional alcohol users	1.2
Regular alcohol users	1.6

d) No one becomes an addict or kills someone in an accident by choice: Around 15% of those who touch
alcohol with the intention of drinking in moderation, eventually end up becoming dependent on it; and many more
end up binging – suffering its negative consequences on health, finances, profession, family, social relations & moral
behaviour.

e) American Heart Association warns “NOT to start”: Its website states, “Drinking more alcohol increases
such dangers as alcoholism, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, breast cancer, suicide and accidents. Also, it’s not
possible to predict in which people alcoholism will become a problem…AHA cautions people NOT to start drinking,
if they do not already drink alcohol”.

Misconceptions and aggressive marketing by the alcohol industry using popular film stars & cricketers, has made the
use of this addictive poison popular even amongst the well-educated members of our society, including medicos.
Countries like France where alcohol use has already become a part of culture are having a tough time decreasing
alcohol related harm. Unless we act urgently and spiritedly, the damage done by this epidemic will be difficult to
reverse in our country as well. We need to empower youth with adequate knowledge about alcohol and tobacco so
that they can resist peer pressure and share this dream of an addiction free, healthy & happy society. Jai Hind!