An alcohol harm-reduction expert drank heavily for years. His 'dry by default' rule helped him drink less, lose weight, and live a fuller life.
The US surgeon general released a new report that says moderate drinking could cause cancer.
Richard Piper, an alcohol harm-reduction expert, used to drink heavily.
His "dry by default" rule helped him reduce the risks of drinking without going sober.
This story was originally published in November 2024. On January 3, 2025, the US surgeon general said drinking alcohol was a leading risk factor for developing cancer. He recommended updating warning labels on beverages and adjusting the consumption levels health officials suggest.
At 52, Richard Piper runs often, feels full of energy, weighs less, and enjoys concerts and holidays more than he did at 42 — which he attributes to being "dry by default."
Piper told Business Insider that he drank heavily every day for years. But after becoming the CEO of Alcohol Change UK, a harm-reduction organization, in 2017, he realized he needed to change his drinking habits.
He joined a growing number of people who are drinking less, particularly Gen Zers and millennials. A Gallup survey found that between 2021 and 2023, 62% of US adults aged 18 to 34 drank alcohol, down from 72% between 2001 and 2003 — a 10 percentage-point drop over two decades.
Piper said being "dry by default" means he is sober most of the time but will drink on rare occasions — for example, when a nonalcoholic alternative to a beer he likes isn't available.
He prefers this over being completely sober because he can lower his risk of alcohol-related harm without following "permanent lifelong rules," he said.
Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, on Friday issued a new advisory report that said alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, and drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer, including breast, mouth, and colorectal. Murthy called for more awareness of the causal link between drinking alcohol and cancer when people decide whether or how much to drink.
"There is no such thing as healthy drinking," Piper said before Murthy's report was published. "But there's more risky drinking and less risky drinking. And the less you drink, the healthier it is."
Research suggests all drinking is harmful — even in moderation
Some studies have suggested that moderate drinking could be better for you than not drinking. But more recent studies have indicated that the data in those studies was flawed — it didn't take into account that people are more likely to stop drinking if they're ill or dealing with addiction, meaning their ill health was in spite of not drinking, not because of it.
Now, growing evidence suggests that no amount of alcohol is safe.
According to the surgeon general's report, 25% of cancer cases worldwide in 2020 occurred in people who drank two or fewer alcoholic drinks a day.
Drinking alcohol is risky in other ways. "Alcohol can lead to poor decision-making — about getting home safely, about who you talk to, and what you say to them — and makes many of us do things that we wouldn't do otherwise," Piper said.
You don't have to quit drinking to lower the health risks
The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that men drink no more than two drinks a day and women drink no more than one drink a day.
One to two units of alcohol a week poses a low risk of dying from alcohol and alcohol-related issues, Piper said.
Generally, most people would benefit from drinking less, he said — including losing weight, saving money, sleeping better, having more energy, and easing depression and anxiety. And that's on top of things you can't see, such as lowering the risk of cancer.
"Make sure you have a really good reason for having a drink," he said.
Even if you don't give up alcohol completely, "it's always good to have a few days off a week," Piper said. "Alcohol should be on the periphery of our lives, not at the center."
Read the original article on Business Insider
