> But Gordon, we have evidence in the form of a study which
> you've agreed is everything one would want vis a vis
> scientific rigor. 

We have *one* study that disagrees with many other studies, and then only
slightly. The Bristol study upon which you rely solely, ignoring all other
studies, shows no negative health consequences from moderate drinking. 

Moreoever we have studies such as the one mentioned in the article I posted
here (which you ignored) which actually point to a genetic basis for the
health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. This gives a theoretical
underpinning to the epidemiological results of the majority of studies which
show benefits from moderate drinking. Unlike the Bristol conjecture that ill
people don't drink, for which there is no evidence, there is real empirical
evidence that moderate alcohol consumption leads to lower risk of heart
disease and increased life expectancy, and that this effect is determined by
genes. 

-gts