Study Finds Drinking Before Age 40 Has No Health Benefits, Only Risks

1.34 billion people consumed harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020, according to estimates from a new study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It also found that 59.1% of those people consuming unsafe amounts were between the ages of 15 and 39, and that for that group "there are no health benefits to drinking alcohol, only health risks.... 60% of alcohol-related injuries occurring among people in this age group, including motor vehicle accidents, suicides, and homicides."

Of the 15 to 39-year-olds consuming unsafe amounts of alcohol, 76.7% were male. For adults over age 40, health risks from alcohol consumption vary by age and region. Consuming a small amount of alcohol (for example, drinking between one and two 3.4-ounce glasses of red wine) for people in this age group can provide some health benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes...

The authors argue that the level of alcohol consumption recommended by many existing guidelines is too high for young people in all regions. Men under the age of 40 are most likely to use alcohol in a harmful way.