Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman, a former editor of Prevention File, is a writer on alcohol and drug topics. In the following viewpoint, he criticizes efforts by the wine industry to promote the health effects of moderate alcohol consumption. Not only has alcohol been linked to breast cancer and other health problems, but it is also a potentially addictive substance that many people abuse, he contends. In addition, efforts to educate people on the benefits of “moderate” drinking will fail because people have wildly different understandings of what “moderate” means.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Zimmerman describe and define the “French paradox"”
2. How do people define the term “moderate,” in the author’s view?
3. What warnings does federal law require on...