Charles Knowles
– Author of Why We Drink Too Much

I think that this is possible although many would disagree. The medical position is that there “is no level of alcohol consumption that is safe”. I think that if the occasional drink brings joy in people’s lives then this is OK. It is simply a question of balancing the pros and cons (what I call the drinking scales). The problem is that for many of us, the scales are not very accurate.

Yes. www.charlesknowlesauthor.com is my official website as the author of Why We Drink Too Much. Here you can find information about the book, the science behind alcohol consumption, and updates on media appearances and research.

I think society is definitely changing its views, especially in the younger generation where about one quarter of 16–25-year-olds now abstain from drinking. I am not big on fashionable anti-corporate or anti-government narratives regarding motivations to drink (we have been manufacturing alcohol for 15,000 years and animals also chose to consume it) but I think we can rightly question why so little has been done to curb the harms and societal cost of alcohol – especially in the UK. This is not party political – it is economics. At the time of writing this, the UK Prime minister has just returned from selling Whiskey to China.

There is no single threshold at which alcohol suddenly becomes harmful, but risk increases as consumption increases. In the UK, current guidelines suggest keeping intake below 14 units per week, spread over several days, as a way of limiting long-term health risks rather than guaranteeing safety.

If you’re interested in how these guidelines were developed, the Science Updates section explores the evidence behind alcohol and health in more detail.

Why We Drink Too Much explores the biological, psychological, and cultural reasons humans consume alcohol. The book combines scientific research with personal insight to examine our complex relationship with drinking.

Health exists on a spectrum, and many people who drink alcohol also engage in healthy behaviours. However, alcohol offers no health benefit of its own, and its effects need to be considered alongside sleep, diet, exercise, and mental wellbeing.