Plenty of Americans like an adult beverage now and then. Whether it be a martini, a tot of gin, a glass of wine with dinner, a cold beer in the afternoon, or a shot of good sipping whiskey, there are as many choices for imbibing as there are imbibers, likely. And America has always held the production and delivery of our booze in some esteem.
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Why, New Yorkers even elected a bartender to Congress!
Of course, there are health risks involved, and some people end up with problems; I know, my best friend in the world outside my family struggled with alcoholism and has now been sober for nearly 20 years. But a Florida neurosurgeon is presently issuing some warnings that I think go a bit too far.
Dr. Brett Osborn, who also runs a longevity practice, applauded the new guidance, stating that alcohol is a toxin.
“We’ve known this for eons — this is nothing new,” Osborn told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview.
And:
In particular, Murthy warned that alcohol can increase the risk of throat, liver, esophageal, mouth, larynx (voice box), colon and rectal cancers.
“I know the age-old adage that you can have a drink or two a day and it’s good for your heart — no, it’s not,” Osborn said.
I’ve seen studies to the contrary, but that’s not really the point. The point is this: Dr. Osborn is free to dispense medical advice until the cows come home; that is, after all, his job. But I’m a bit skeptical about the overly serious tone he takes. Everything is in moderation, as they say – and when anyone, a doc or anyone else, starts casually tossing around the word “toxins,” it starts to fire up my BS-O-Meter. It’s not always the case that warnings of “toxins” are horse squeeze – but a lot of people dispensing said horse squeeze like to shout about “OMG TOXINS!”
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“Anything that alcohol touches — your throat, your larynx, your esophagus, your stomach, your bowels, rectum — those are all being exposed to a toxin,” Osborn stated.
Alcohol causes oxidative damage, the doctor warned, which is when “free radicals” damage cells, tissues and DNA and lead to cancer formation.
Here’s the thing: Sure, we all know there are risks from imbibing. Anyone who has ever suffered a hangover knows this, and believe me, back in my unfiltered youth, I suffered hangovers that showed up in satellite photos. We are, however, all adults, or at least better be if we’re drinking. We all know the risks. We make our choices and live with the consequences.
But here’s the rather troublesome statement from the good doctor:
“I don’t want it in my practice. I don’t want it for my patients. I don’t use it myself. It’s bad. Get rid of it.”
Cast your optics over that last sentence: “Get rid of it.” I’m about 88.4 percent certain Dr. Osborn means get rid of it from our personal lives, making a choice never to imbibe again. Well, that’s fine. That’s medical advice, and we can take his advice or not. Or is he making a policy recommendation? Because we tried that once before, and it didn’t work out anywhere near as intended.
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As a personal reply to Dr. Osborn’s concerns, I can only say, “Set ’em up again, bartender.” I enjoy an adult beverage now and then, usually two beers with my usual Saturday lunch at the lodge and occasionally a snort of whiskey in the evenings. I’ll continue to do so. I see that Dr. Osborn is not only a neurologist but also a “longevity doctor” (aren’t all doctors longevity doctors?) but I’ll take living well over living forever.
This seems appropriate.
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