19/06/2026
1. “My grandma drank wine every day and lived to 95.”
Survivorship bias. For every grandma who drank and lived to 95, there are thousands who drank and didn’t make it that far, you just don’t hear from them. Individual outcomes don’t override population data. The science is about risk, not certainty.
2. “Everything causes cancer these days.”
Not really. The list of confirmed Group 1 carcinogens is actually quite short and alcohol has been on it since 1988. The difference is the messaging is finally catching up to what the data has said for decades.
3. “What about the French / Mediterranean / Blue Zones?”
The “wine is healthy” angle in Blue Zones research has been re-examined and largely debunked. The health benefits in those populations come from diet, movement, community and low stress, not the wine. Researchers themselves have walked it back.
4. “A little bit is fine , moderation is key.”
That used to be the line. The 2018 Lancet GBD study (28 million people) and the WHO 2023 statement both concluded there is no safe level. “Moderation” is a comfort word, not a scientific one.
5. “Life’s too short to not enjoy a drink.”
Totally your call. The post isn’t telling anyone to stop. It’s just making sure people know what they’re choosing — because for years the science was misrepresented. Informed choice is the whole point.
6. “But red wine has resveratrol / antioxidants.”
You’d need to drink hundreds of glasses a day to get a meaningful dose of resveratrol, at which point the alcohol kills you long before the antioxidants help. You get more from a handful of grapes or berries with zero downside.
7. “So is sugar / processed food / sitting too. Why pick on alcohol?”
Fair point, they’re all on the list. Alcohol just gets a free pass culturally that the others don’t. The post is about correcting that gap, not ranking which is worst.
8. “This is fearmongering.”
Quoting the WHO and IARC isn’t fear mongering, it’s reporting the data. People can do whatever they want with it. The only thing I’m against is people drinking based on outdated science.