I’ve been drinking for 7 years. Typicall I’ve only drank 3-4 drinks a year. If I stop drinking now, would that help decrease chances of cancer? If it does will it take a long time?

  • @[email protected]
    83•2 years ago

    3-4 drinks per year won’t affect your cancer risk. Unless you’ve been drinking radium or something.

    • Dmian
      -41•2 years ago

      That’s completely wrong. There’s no safe level of alcohol intake:

      https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

      https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

      Edit: from the articles, in case you don’t have time to read them:

      “We cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesn’t matter how much you drink—the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage”

        • @[email protected]
          0•2 years ago

          Oh come on, you don’t have to drink. Drinking is a choice and an easily avoidable health risk.

        • Sirence
          0•2 years ago

          Exactly. I put on sunscreen indoors and people think I’m being dramatic. Same people ask me how I manage to look almost 20 years younger then I am. Sunlight is poisonous.

          • AmidFuror
            13•2 years ago

            Which fallacy is the one where you cite a paper that doesn’t say what you claim it does?

            1. The optimum level of sun exposure for vitamin D production does not mean that level is “safe.” You’re trading vitamin D for cancer risk. Your claim about alcohol didn’t make any cost / benefit analysis. It was only that there is no safe level. You paid no regard to how small the risks were, only that there was any risk.

            2. You can get vitamin D from your diet or supplements. You can get skin cancer and retinal cancer from the sun.

            • AmidFuror
              -1•2 years ago

              But the WHO didn’t write a report that breathing ages you (because it requires the passage of time), this risking age-related health problems and ultimate, inevitable death.

      • @[email protected]English
        27•2 years ago

        As a non-drinker who has seen the ravages of alcohol abuse in several loved ones, I completely understand the “no level is safe” guideline.

        That said, 3-4 drinks per year is far below any measure of alcohol use that is seriously studied, where researchers look at drinking at the “amount per week” level. 3-4 drinks per year is essentially on the level of being a non-drinker.

      • @[email protected]
        23•2 years ago

        Technically yes, but 3-4 drinks per year is such a small amount it’s going to make a negligible difference.

        • @[email protected]English
          11•2 years ago

          Yep, it’s like saying that drinking communion wine at church is a risky amount of alcohol.

          • Matte
            11•2 years ago

            this is basically not understanding what “risk” means. if you have a 1% risk of developing cancer, and by doing something (ie drinking) you double relatively-wise that risk, it’s still only 2% of risk. would you stop drinking and enjoying alcohol and living a happier life for a mere 1%?

            all the numbers I’m using are totally random, but it shows that saying “it increases the risk” although technically correct doesn’t mean shit and it’s just fearmongering and a basic inability of understanding information.