Those who love their chhota peg before mealtime are going to find this hard to swallow. A study conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle showed that alcohol was the leading cause of premature death in men and women aged between 15 and 49, worldwide, in 2016. This comprises 10 per cent of all deaths. Alcohol-related deaths—regardless of the amount consumed—included those arising from diseases typically related to the substance, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as deaths from violence and self-harm, traffic accidents and other accidents such as drowning and fires. So no amount of alcohol is ‘safe’ for consumption, not even ‘milder’ forms such as wine and beer; even moderate amounts can prove lethal. The study was published in The Lancet.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
December 2018