Episode 20: The Anti-Alcohol Movement: "No Safe Amount"? (Mark Hicken, WineLaw.ca)

This episode is about the anti-alcohol movement and efforts by certain advocacy groups who claim that there is “No Safe Amount” of alcohol which we can enjoy. There’s been increased discussion in the news and health publications recently about the risks of drinking alcohol, and how we shouldn’t drink more than two alcoholic drinks PER WEEK (despite current recommended guidelines which suggest no more than two drinks per day). What’s going on here? Canadian liquor law and policy expert Mark Hicken (www.WineLaw.ca) returns to the show to discuss what (and who) is driving the “No Safe Amount” position, and how we should assess the veracity of information relied upon by anti-alcohol advocates who are making health claims. Tania and Mark discuss the role of scientific methodology in the context of liquor policy making and public health guidance, the potential resurgence of “nanny state” intervention, how much our provincial government’s coffers (and monopoly arm) gets from the sale of each bottle of wine which we buy, the role of individual risk assessment, and more. Articles mentioned by Mark: • Anti-Alcohol Nonsense Part 1: Only Pay Attention to Good Science (Mark Hicken) https://www.winelaw.ca/2024/10/18/3-reasons-to-ignore-anti-alcohol-nonsense-1-only-pay-attention-to-good-science/ • Anti-Alcohol Nonsense Part 2: Don’t Listen to Biased Sources (Mark Hicken) https://www.winelaw.ca/2024/11/19/anti-alcohol-nonsense-part-2-dont-listen-to-biased-sources/ • The Wine Gourd - There are NO scientific experiments saying: don’t drink alcohol https://winegourd.blogspot.com/2024/10/there-are-no-scientific-experiments.html • The Wine Gourd - Has the WHO lost its way regarding alcohol? https://winegourd.blogspot.com/2024/08/has-who-lost-its-way-regarding-alcohol.html • What the Headlines Get Wrong About Alcohol and Health (Dr Laura Catena) https://daily.sevenfifty.com/what-the-headlines-get-wrong-about-alcohol-and-health/ • Is Alcohol Good or Bad for You? Yes. (Harvard Public Health) https://harvardpublichealth.org/policy-practice/is-alcohol-bad-for-you-or-is-alcohol-good-for-you-yes/