Why scientific support for alcohol's health benefits is fading

I worked as a care coordinator in substance misuse for 15 years

I ran the alcohol group at the local hospital detox unit.

Everyone knows how destructive any form of alcohol use is.

From the violence witnessed every friday and saturday night mixed with youthful adrenalin outside pubs and clubs around the country.

The increase of domestic violence during bouts of drinking.

A heroin addict going into detox for 10 days will be totally clean of heroin. There is no physical debility or damage for the heroin addict and his or her body will recover. A heroin addict can, if they are able to manage the pain of withdrawal symptoms, do detox without any support, They will not die.

For the alcoholic it is much much worse for them. They cannot just stop drinking. They will suffer extreme DT's (delerium tremens) suffer liver failure, brain damage and a raft of other serious medical conditions. The alcoholic cannot do self detox, they can only slowly reduce the amount of alcohol they drink, if they just stop they will die.

The alcoholic cannot escape alcohol. Every other high street shop sells alcohol from off-licences to local food stores and pubs.

It is incredible that smoking a few joints at home during the weekend is illegal but getting paralitic drunk is not.

Flammable too, like the more-toxic alcohols and other solvents.