Andrews University Faculty Publish Book on Alcohol Risks

A new book titled Alcohol: All Risk, No Benefits (Pacific Press, 2023) aims to challenge the cultural myths and misconceptions that often surround the dangers of alcohol consumption. The lead editors are Peter Landless, a physician and director of health ministries for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and Duane McBride, senior research professor at Andrews University and director of the Institute for Prevention of Addictions.

According to McBride, faculty members from Andrews University, Loma Linda University, and Harvard University authored many of the chapters, along with students in the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences and School of Social Work at Andrews. Several other working professionals in the fields of medicine, social science, and theology also contributed to the book.

The book uses the latest medical insights and scientific evidence to educate readers that consuming alcohol in any quantity is not worth the many risks posed to those who consume it or anyone they interact with while under the influence. The book was created to appeal to a broad audience while also addressing the unique challenges faced by youth and young adults.

“One of the biggest myths surrounding alcohol is that it’s good for you in moderation, that it prevents heart attacks,” McBride says. “Our focus is to dispel that myth and shed light on the profound impact of alcohol’s harm on the brain, body, and mind.”

McBride shared that he has a personal connection to alcohol’s biological and social impacts. His mother decided to join the Adventist Church after growing up with an alcoholic father. In addition to coming to Christ through his mother’s example, McBride learned that alcoholism had been passed down through his family for generations. “I had a lot of family members who died of alcoholism, family members who were alcoholics before they were 20 years old,” he says.

Today, it is not only Adventists who advocate for zero alcohol consumption. In fact, alcohol consumption throughout the 21st century has declined as awareness has increased about alcohol’s severe detrimental effects. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” Although past studies have attempted to advocate for alcohol’s purported health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, scientists and researchers have concluded that these “benefits” are temporary and can lead to the development of many other negative health conditions that severely outweigh any supposed good.

Despite the gradual decline of alcohol usage across the nation, it is still widespread around the world. The book cites a WHO statistic that “alcohol is responsible for half a million deaths from cancer each year, or about 6 percent of cancer deaths globally,” indicating that there is still much work to be done to combat alcohol usage and addiction.

National Geographic magazine recently published an article titled “8 Things We’ve Learned about How Alcohol Harms the Body” that reinforces the findings of the WHO. The article states that “women are at a higher risk than men of developing cancers from even a single daily drink” and “alcohol interferes with certain neurotransmitters in the body that keep your anxiety in check.” It also notes the health benefits that can occur after just a few weeks of being sober. These include improved sleep, a decrease in depression and anxiety, healthier skin, and a healthier gut.

Alcohol: All Risk, No Benefits has already received substantial attention across the Adventist community in the United States because of publisher Pacific Press’s promotional efforts at various conference camp meetings this summer. The book is available for purchase online on Amazon and at the online Adventist Book Center. It can also be purchased at the Andrews University bookstore.

The original version of this article was posted on the Andrews University news site.