All forms of alcohol are bad for people of this age, a study finds

Alcohol isn’t the healthiest of vices, but many argue that there are certain benefits in moderate consumption. But a new study has dashed all our hopes, at least for those under 40, by finding alcohol offers no health benefits for this rather large age group.

The study, published in the Lancet Medical Journal, is global and the first of its kind to take into account factors such as geographic locations, gender, age and more. It found that men between the ages of 15 and 39 have the highest risk of alcohol harm.

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“Using estimates of alcohol consumption in 204 countries, researchers calculated that 1.34 billion people were consuming harmful amounts in 2020,” the study’s press release reads. “In each region, males aged 15 to 39 were the largest segment of the population drinking unsafe amounts of alcohol, and for this age group, alcohol consumption offers no health benefits and carries many health risks, with 60% of alcohol-related injuries occurring in people of this age group age group, including car accidents, suicides and homicides.”

For people over 40, drinking small amounts of alcohol was associated with some benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease, especially if those people lived in places where heart disease was high. There was one caveat: in order for these people to experience benefits, they didn’t have to have any underlying health conditions.

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“Our message is simple: young people shouldn’t drink, but older people can benefit from drinking small amounts. While it’s unrealistic to think that young adults will stop drinking, we think it’s important to share the latest evidence so everyone can make informed decisions about their health,” said senior author Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou, who is also a professor at the University of Washington.

So drinking is bad for you, but the world is on fire too. Researchers should give us all a little slack.