Experienced wine writer Tom Wark, whose articles I follow with interest, recently shared and commented on an intriguing piece of information. In a report authored by Canadian expert Dr. Tim Stockwell, findings from long-term studies were shared. In this report, Dr. Stockwell pinpoints the impact of alcohol consumption on our lifespan with precise statements.
According to the report, consuming two glasses of wine a week shortens your life by six days. If you drink one glass every day, your total lifespan decreases by 2.5 months.
If you shared this information in a casual conversation with friends, it would probably be forgotten by the end of the chat. However, when it is shared with the public through an official report, it becomes a finding that must be taken seriously. In fact, our parameters for comparison are extremely clear: what do we need to give up, and what do we gain in return?
As the author of these lines, I belong to the older generation. Therefore, we, those aged 60 and above, have learned through experience that the most precious treasure is time. The remaining days of our lives hold a proportionally greater share for us than for the young. Additionally, life is sweet; no one wants to leave without fully experiencing it.
However, we largely determine the content of our lives ourselves. Although this control is not entirely in our hands until the end of our education, all subsequent processes are shaped by our own decisions. We decide what job to do, how much to work, and what to put into our lives based on existential determinations about the meaning of life. Among these decisions is whether or not we will drink alcohol and, if we decide to drink, how much we will drink. Now, we have a parameter to consider when making this choice. We now know how much our decision can shorten our life.
And the million-dollar question: Would you give up wine to extend your life by 6 to 75 days?
It’s so subjective, isn’t it? Of course, other parameters come into play. For example, none of us know how long we will live. Death comes in various forms. Moreover, aren’t the most lamented cases those who leave life too soon, at a young age? The funerals of those we lose at a young age have always saddened me greatly. I know very well that when I go to the cemetery, I find it hard to leave the graveyard even after the burial ceremony is over. But let’s leave this gloomy part aside and, if you wish, let’s talk about a survey we will start at SOcial Media:
The question is:
“If you drink two glasses of wine a week, your lifespan will be shortened by 6 days. If you drink one glass every day,
your lifespan will be shortened by 75 days.”
In light of these concrete findings, please make your choice:
- I will drink two glasses a week.
- I will drink one glass every day.
- I will not drink at all.
- I will drink as much as I want.
We will share the results. Wishing you well-being with moderate drinking.
The Tom Wark and Tim Stockwell mentioned in this article are experienced experts in their fields. Tom Wark has been writing about wine for many years and now publishes his articles under the title 'Fermentation' on the Substack platform. Dr. Tim Stockwell is the director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. You can find links to both of them below.
https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/cisur/about/scientists/profiles/stockwell-tim.php
