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Journalism of Courage
Young people face higher health risks from alcohol consumption than older adults, according to a new analysis published in The Lancet. The analysis from the Global Burden of Disease is the first study to report alcohol risk by geographical region, age, and sex. Using estimates of alcohol use in 204 countries, researchers calculated that 1.34 billion people (1.03 billion males and 0.312 billion females) consumed harmful amounts in 2020.
The analysis found males between ages 15-39 at the greatest risk of harmful alcohol consumption. In every region, males in this age group comprised the largest segment of the population drinking unsafe amounts. Among people who consumed unsafe amounts in 2020, 59.1% were in the 15-39 age group, and 76.7% of these were male.
In this age group, the analysis found no health benefits to drinking alcohol, only health risks, with 60% of alcohol-related injuries occurring among this segment, including motor vehicle accidents, suicides, and homicides.
In India, 1.85% females and 25.7% males in the 15-39 age group consumed unsafe amounts of alcohol in 2020. This was lower than 1.79% females and 23% males in the 40-64 age group who consumed unsafe amounts.
For adults over age 40, too, health risks vary by age and region. However, the authors note that consuming a small amount of alcohol (for example, between one and two 3.4-ounce glasses of red wine) can provide some health benefits for people in this age group, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.
“Our message is simple: young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from drinking small amounts. While it may not be realistic to think young adults will abstain from drinking, we do think it’s important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health,” senior author Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, said in the report.
Call for new guidelines
The authors suggested that global alcohol consumption recommendations should be based on age and location, with the strictest guidelines targeted toward the 15-39 age group. They stressed that the consumption level recommended by many existing guidelines is too high for young people in all regions.
Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, Deputy Director, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, told The Indian Express that they have written several letters to the Health Ministry to bring out an alcohol-related policy. “We are not asking for prohibition but there is an urgent need for limiting the consumption of alcohol. Due to peer pressure the age of drinking is coming down and there are children between 14-16 years who are consuming alcohol,” he said.
The study also estimates how much alcohol a person can drink before taking on excess risk to their health, compared to someone who does not drink any alcohol.
AGE 15-39: For this group, the recommended amount of alcohol before risking health loss was 0.136 standard drinks per day (standard drink defined in box). That amount was slightly higher for females at 0.273 drinks per day.
AGE 40-64: For those without underlying health conditions, safe alcohol consumption levels ranged from about half a standard drink per day (0.527 for males and 0.562 for females) to almost two standard drinks per day (1.69 for males and 1.82 for females).
AGE 65 & OVER: A little more than three standard drinks per day (3.19 drinks for males and 3.51 for females).
