Why is the latest medical science confirmation—that alcohol definitely causes cancer—NOT major news?! Isn’t this like the most important life-altering moment of truth to hit humanity on the head since … our ancient ancestors began making and drinking and enjoying alcohol? This is a bold, all-cap headline, front page news, should be the lead of every network newscast and talk show from now on. Or am I the only one who thinks this medical news is probably the biggest health finding of my lifetime, alongside cigarettes of last century?
Medical scientists even provide a list of definite links between drinking alcohol, even moderately, and the following cancers: breast, colorectal, liver, esophageal, mouth, throat and larynx. ! So in my mind, I go through all the people I’ve known who’ve died from cancer and try to recall if they drank in excess or ever. Yep, I know some who definitely hit the bottle or can hard on a daily basis and wound up fighting cancer till their sad deaths. Yet I know others who died of these very cancers and were basically nondrinkers, not even one drop for one or two loved ones.
So, it’s not fair is all I’m saying. But live long enough, and you learn cancer is not fair.
Still, it is suspicious how this major news story of the century is not even discussed whether on the news, internet or even among people privately. THIS IS BIG NEWS, Y’ALL!!
Perhaps it’s our old lingering puritanical American attitude that alcoholics get what they deserve. But these cancers aren’t just linked to heavy drinkers. Remember: America had prohibition in the Roaring 1920s. All those who attended speakeasies and held dinner parties with alcohol served were not alcoholics. Most were people who enjoyed a drink or two occasionally, usually on the weekends. From vintage film clips, they had a helluva good time.
And that kind of drinking enjoyment, once prohibition ended, has continued for generations. Yes, some people get addicted to alcohol, but not every person who drinks even daily. Some find help to quit drinking through programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. In fact, some people need that kind of group assistance. See, drinkers are usually very sociable.
Drinking thing
In the 1970s public service announcements against drinking and driving led to groups of friends going out for the night to decide on a designated driver (and nondrinker for the evening) who would ensure everyone got home safely and avoid drunk driving. In the 1980s, the legal drinking age was raised from 18 to 19 then to 21—federal legislators assuming adults of that age were more mature than the teen years. This was an effort to curtail drunk driving and many horrible and deadly crashes.
But again, why is the now proven fact that ALCOHOL CAUSES CANCER not as loudly promoted and as well known as cigarettes causing cancer? The whole fight against cigarettes was a bit before my time; I vaguely recall TV advertising cigarettes because they were yanked off the air. But my generation definitely recalls years of pushback between the cigarette industry and anti-smoking legislation. There had to be designated smoke-free areas in every public place and restaurants until all businesses, including airplanes and nightclubs, went smoke free. And the applause across the land was thunderous.
I didn’t grow up in a smokers’ home but knew several kids who did. They all hated it: the smoke in their hair, on their clothes, on the pages of their textbooks. These kids seemed more mature than their parents who could read the warning labels on cigarette packs. Then more recently, the day came when the packs warned ‘causes cancer’ instead of ‘may cause cancer’ as was the label from my generation.
There was the federal investigation when all CEOs of the cigarette industry sat before Congress and the nation and declared straight-faced that smoking cigarettes is not a definite link to cancer. Our nation laughed and coughed at the audacity. Everybody knew by then that there was definitely something up with cigarette smoking and certain breathing illnesses and diseases and eventually cancers like oral and lung. As a society, we seemed to have accepted it, but it took a long time. So maybe nowadays, smoking is not the cool thing to do anymore. Many smokers, if not most, stopped in this country, not necessarily around the world.
Now I suppose we’re going to see a similar transformation in our culture that has heavily promoted drinking alcoholic beverages, from beer to cocktails and frozen drinks. Labels may already be on liquor containers, soon with the phrase ‘causes cancer’ instead of ‘may cause cancer.’
Alcohol is an undisputable major part of our society, associated with good times, good food, friends, family, celebrations, music and lots of laughter. Young people have a need to explore with alcohol and see how much their bodies can tolerate without repercussions. Surely our nation has learned that prohibition does not work; it didn’t work a century ago, just caused vicious gangland crime.
People want to be free to make their personal choices about things like drinking and smoking, once called vices. Laws don’t change people’s minds when it comes to alcohol. Major social movements like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and anti-smoking supporters take years to build, essentially a generation.
And who are we kidding? The only reason why ‘alcohol causes cancer’ is not shouted from the media is because of big money from the alcohol industry. The gun lobby pales in comparison. It would be financially ruinous to business: all the package stores, especially in small communities; restaurants and night clubs; grocery stores; as well as delivery drivers; and manufacturers of wine, beer and other spirits—plus evaporating the impressive revenue directly from liquor sales that pours into our government coffers from cities to states. Telling Americans (and our government and the many people who imbibe on a regular basis) they ought to stop drinking—at this point in time, with Trump president, shrinking incomes, AI fears and job loss, plus another forever war—would cause a mutiny of sorts. If ever we needed a reason to drink, these times would be it. [Psst. Just consider the consequences. Here’s to your health!]