[Abouteo]

I suppose the problem with moonshots like "X can cause cancer in the long term", replace X with "alcohol", "cigarettes", "cola" or what else, is that "in the long term we're all dead. sometimes unexpectedly". The unexpected part is key. If it were guaranteed you live 100 by abstaining from vice then by all means. But illness and death can and will come out of nowhere and it leaves you even more bitter: you didn't even allow yourself to enjoy life and now it's taken from you.

So like vice, also abstinence: in moderation. In fact abstinence is itself a vice if taken to extremes I would say.

[audunw]

I’m not so sure alcohol is really helping us enjoy life that much though. I’ve had periods with all kinds of different drinking patterns, and it always feel like alcohol always takes away from you as much as it gives. Even when I drink so much that I get a noticeble hangover. It might be subtle. Like feeling ever so slightly worse when not drinking. But there’s always a trade-off.

During long periods of not drinking I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.

That’s even more the case these days when there’s so many good non/low alcoholic beers and dry ciders (had some good wines too but too many are bad)

The only pattern of drinking I’ve found that I think actually make life more enjoyable in total, is to have like 2-3 units of alcohol on really special occasions, like 3-6 times a year. Any downside is immeasurable and when you wait so long between drinking it the alcohol is more efficient at making you feel good. You can also go back to not drinking easily without feeling like you’re missing something.

It should be said that the chance of developing a serious problem if you have a habit of drinking. You can have a traumatic experience, or other kind of psychological issues, and suddenly that casual drinking can turn into a real problem.