Alternative Health Blog

Welcome to the weekend. It’s possible you enjoyed a glass of red wine with dinner last night. After all, that is by most research accounts a healthy habit. So, good for you in more ways than one.

Of course, whenever a red wine study is published and, inevitably, covered widely in the media, there is an important proviso: Don’t begin drinking alcohol for the health benefit. What worries researchers is not that a glass or two of wine will be anything but a plus; in fact, there is solid evidence that so-called teetotalers don’t live as long, on average, as moderate drinkers. The problem is when that one glass becomes three, four, five.

Alcohol researchers have duly covered both ends of the age spectrum. Studies show a growing number of seniors (65 and over) are starting “happy hours” early in the afternoon and embarking on a unhealthy mix of cocktails and depression symptoms. Other studies have reported on the disturbing rate of binge drinking among college students; university substance abuse counselors are on the front lines and say it’s never been this widespread. 

Apparently, the problem of how much is way too much isn’t strictly in the American domain. Last weekend, British media were quick to report the country’s public health minister Dawn Primarolo criticizing radio deejays who “glorify” being drunk. She was commenting on a government-commissioned study about how radio hosts might be influencing listeners, especially younger generations.

Primarolo singled out BBC host Chris Moyles, who talks regularly about alcohol and makes remarks such as “hangover from hell” and “fun is just a bottle away.”

If we are going to change the nation's drinking habits," she said, "we really need to change the way we talk about alcohol."

Researchers at the University of the West of England performed the government study. They found more than 700 references to alcohol when they monitored 1,200 hours of radio from six stations between December 2007 and this February. About 75 percent of the comments encouraged the use of alcohol and 13 percent even promoted execessive drinking.

One rock station deejay was recorded as saying it is “quite easy to drive if you’ve had a few beers.”

Yikes.

To its credit, the BBC aired a campaign all week asking listeners “to think about the amount of alcohol you drink and how it might affect your health, looks and behavior.”

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.