We all know that drinking alcohol is not good for you. We all know that it leads not only to addiction and reckless, erratic behavior, but increases the likelihood of just about every other major illness. From heart disease and gout to every form of cancer, even moderate consumption of alcohol raises the stakes for your health!
Why Do We Still Drink Booze?
Alcohol has a ubiquitous presence in our culture – from advertisements during sporting events to parties at and near college campuses.
Few people are aware of the growing consensus in the medical and public health communities that alcohol is strongly correlated with cancer. In fact, the risk is so great that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is a part of the World Health Organization, rates alcohol as a Class I carcinogen, equivalent to tobacco smoke.
Research is showing that basically every time you consume a drink, you increase your chances of disease slightly more than if you hadn’t consumed alcohol at all.
And the evidence does not stop there. According to the International Journal of Cancer, 3.6 percent of all cancer cases and 3.5 percent of all cancer deaths could be the result of alcohol intake. It doesn’t sound alarming at first, but when you consider the numerous potential causes of cancer that exist, the number becomes more striking.
Alcoholism is a disease and one that needs treatment. If you or someone you love has a drinking problem I urge you to seek help immediately. If you prefer to maintain total anonymity there are online alcohol classes too.