I’ve been drinking for 7 years. Typicall I’ve only drank 3-4 drinks a year. If I stop drinking now, would that help decrease chances of cancer? If it does will it take a long time?

  • Dmian@lemmy.world
    1958·
    1 year ago

    That’s completely wrong. There’s no safe level of alcohol intake:

    https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

    https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

    Edit: from the articles, in case you don’t have time to read them:

    “We cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesn’t matter how much you drink—the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage”

      • busturn@lemmy.world
        22·
        1 year ago

        Oh come on, you don’t have to drink. Drinking is a choice and an easily avoidable health risk.

        • AmidFuror@kbin.social
          13·
          1 year ago

          Which fallacy is the one where you cite a paper that doesn’t say what you claim it does?

          1. The optimum level of sun exposure for vitamin D production does not mean that level is “safe.” You’re trading vitamin D for cancer risk. Your claim about alcohol didn’t make any cost / benefit analysis. It was only that there is no safe level. You paid no regard to how small the risks were, only that there was any risk.

          2. You can get vitamin D from your diet or supplements. You can get skin cancer and retinal cancer from the sun.

          • AmidFuror@kbin.social
            12·
            1 year ago

            But the WHO didn’t write a report that breathing ages you (because it requires the passage of time), this risking age-related health problems and ultimate, inevitable death.

    • KuchiKopi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      271·
      1 year ago

      As a non-drinker who has seen the ravages of alcohol abuse in several loved ones, I completely understand the “no level is safe” guideline.

      That said, 3-4 drinks per year is far below any measure of alcohol use that is seriously studied, where researchers look at drinking at the “amount per week” level. 3-4 drinks per year is essentially on the level of being a non-drinker.

      • KuchiKopi@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        1 year ago

        Yep, it’s like saying that drinking communion wine at church is a risky amount of alcohol.

        • Matte@feddit.it
          143·
          1 year ago

          this is basically not understanding what “risk” means. if you have a 1% risk of developing cancer, and by doing something (ie drinking) you double relatively-wise that risk, it’s still only 2% of risk. would you stop drinking and enjoying alcohol and living a happier life for a mere 1%?

          all the numbers I’m using are totally random, but it shows that saying “it increases the risk” although technically correct doesn’t mean shit and it’s just fearmongering and a basic inability of understanding information.

    • Zeth0s@lemmy.world
      6·
      1 year ago

      Change of risk for 3 drinks a year is unnoticeable. You can’t tell it from normal noise.