In the 2012 UN Political Declaration, when describing the main contributors to the four most prominent non-communicable diseases, the term harmful use is only used to describe alcohol use. Such a term implies that alcohol use can be safe and beneficial. This assumption could be partly driven by the findings of conventional epidemiology studies indicating moderate drinkers have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than non-drinkers. Such conclusions have been the topic of debate for several decades because moderate drinkers might have other characteristics that are cardioprotective, rather than alcohol itself (ie, confounding).
Original Article: [Comment] Unite for a Framework Convention for Alcohol Control