George Davey-Smith, interviewed by Natasha Mitchell

George Davey-Smith is a professor of epidemiology at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. In the following viewpoint, taken from an interview he did with medical reporter Natasha Mitchell for Radio National in Australia, Davey-Smith argues that the moderate use of alcohol has not been proven to have cardiovascular benefits. Further, a study he conducted in Scotland concluded that binge drinking, not frequent moderate drinking, was more typical of average drinkers and was harmful to the cardiovascular system. Davey-Smith is leery of advising people to drink moderately; such advice will likely encourage both moderate and binge drinkers to drink more, to the detriment of their health. Radio National is Australia’s only national noncommercial radio broadcaster.

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1. According...