Dr. Sarah Wakeman

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

And it's about effective treatment.

And it's about effective treatment.

It depends on the type of addiction and their situation, but in most cases it's some combination of psychotherapy and medication.

It depends on the type of addiction and their situation, but in most cases it's some combination of psychotherapy and medication.

Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, the journey of alcohol is fascinating. So first, I think we think of this as a relatively modern thing, but, you know, archaeologists have discovered, like, beer-making equipment in hunter-gatherers' cave dwellings from 13,000 years ago. That's wild. Wow. Like, 13,000 years of people figuring out how to make beer. You know, you look at China 9,000 years ago.

Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, the journey of alcohol is fascinating. So first, I think we think of this as a relatively modern thing, but, you know, archaeologists have discovered, like, beer-making equipment in hunter-gatherers' cave dwellings from 13,000 years ago. That's wild. Wow. Like, 13,000 years of people figuring out how to make beer. You know, you look at China 9,000 years ago.

It was really about like a spiritual journey or a social thing. It was never really about health. At some point, we started talking about this as something that is good for your health. Like drink red wine. It's going to improve your health. And that's where I think we got wrong. And the reason why was actually from how we were looking at the data.

It was really about like a spiritual journey or a social thing. It was never really about health. At some point, we started talking about this as something that is good for your health. Like drink red wine. It's going to improve your health. And that's where I think we got wrong. And the reason why was actually from how we were looking at the data.

So first, if you look at only one health condition, there are some health conditions where a moderate amount of alcohol actually improves your health. But it was also how people were conducting the studies. So in most of the studies, what people do is they take like a massive population, tens of thousands of people, where we have some data where they're reporting how much alcohol they used.

So first, if you look at only one health condition, there are some health conditions where a moderate amount of alcohol actually improves your health. But it was also how people were conducting the studies. So in most of the studies, what people do is they take like a massive population, tens of thousands of people, where we have some data where they're reporting how much alcohol they used.

And then we look at health risks over time. And scientists would lump people into sort of non-drinkers versus light drinkers, moderate drinkers, or heavy drinkers. And what they were finding is that people who were drinking even up to the moderate level were actually doing better than the people who weren't drinking at all.

And then we look at health risks over time. And scientists would lump people into sort of non-drinkers versus light drinkers, moderate drinkers, or heavy drinkers. And what they were finding is that people who were drinking even up to the moderate level were actually doing better than the people who weren't drinking at all.

And so that was where that concept that drinking is good for your health came from. And so people talk about this like J-shaped curve, meaning that moderate drinkers actually have lower risks of health problems. And then it's really only when you start drinking very high levels that you start having more risk of health problems than people who don't drink at all.

And so that was where that concept that drinking is good for your health came from. And so people talk about this like J-shaped curve, meaning that moderate drinkers actually have lower risks of health problems. And then it's really only when you start drinking very high levels that you start having more risk of health problems than people who don't drink at all.

What they realize is wrong with that is that in the people who don't drink at all, many of those people are not drinking because they're actually really unhealthy for another reason. Like they might have heart failure and they like don't want to drink because they don't want it to mix with their medication. Or they might have had a history of alcohol use disorder and they're actually in recovery.

What they realize is wrong with that is that in the people who don't drink at all, many of those people are not drinking because they're actually really unhealthy for another reason. Like they might have heart failure and they like don't want to drink because they don't want it to mix with their medication. Or they might have had a history of alcohol use disorder and they're actually in recovery.

So they've already had some damage from alcohol and they are not drinking because of that. And so when you change the reference group, you actually make the sort of group that you compare people to, to people who very rarely drink. So it's not that they're not drinkers at all, but they drink, you know, very, very light levels.

So they've already had some damage from alcohol and they are not drinking because of that. And so when you change the reference group, you actually make the sort of group that you compare people to, to people who very rarely drink. So it's not that they're not drinkers at all, but they drink, you know, very, very light levels.