BY ROBERT H. GRANGER

ow should Seventh-day Adventists respond to the ever-increasing evidence that alcohol consumption is good for one's cardiovascular health? Has the time come for us to permit the moderate consumption of a product that appears to aid coronary health? Is the mounting evidence a cue for us to rethink our stance on strict abstinence?

Dealing With the Evidence
Too many Adventists, including me, have tried to explain away the evidence that alcohol is good for heart health. When it was observed that the purported benefits of alcohol might be restricted to red wine, we quickly picked up on the research showing that phenolic compounds in both fermented and unfermented red grape juice could be responsible. But what can we say now that it appears alcohol itself is the agent behind the cardiovascular benefits?

We have tried to suggest that the true mechanisms behind the so-called French Paradox are elusive. The French Paradox was coined by researchers to explain a paradoxical relationship observed in the French population. The French have higher levels of fat consumption than people in the United States, but enjoy lower levels of heart disease, which is thought to be accounted for by their passion for wine. Or we have doubted the trustworthiness of certain research conclusions by exposing the wine industry as the financial sponsors of some of the highly publicized studies in question.

Our Response
Perhaps the day might come when this scientific evidence is found to be flawed. But in the absence of this reality we must face some challenging questions. Can alcohol provide specific health benefits even though the Bible's authors were inspired to say that we should eschew "strong drink"? Should the revelations of Ellen White on the subject of temperance generally, and abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages specifically, be reinterpreted in the light of "scientific advances"?

We can be proud of our timely and liberating message of total abstinence. But we would do well to lift ourselves out of denial and agree that there are positive cardiovascular benefits that appear to be associated with alcohol consumption. This is hardly a large concession to make, since we have not promoted abstinence because of alcohol's devastating influences on cardiovascular health anyway.

Dr. I. J. Goldberg, writing in an editorial for the New England Journal of Medicine, articulates a most encouraging perspective on the subject of the recent alcohol-related hype: "There is, however, insufficient information to encourage patients who do not drink alcohol to start. The data on alcohol and cardiovascular disease are still correlative, whereas the toxic effects of alcohol are well established. Perhaps that is why some studies show a reduction in cardiovascular disease, but not overall mortality, in patients who drink alcoholic beverages. Substitution of one disease for another is not a medical advance. This is especially the case with respect to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, since a number of preventive therapies, such as exercise, smoking cessation, and lowering of cholesterol levels and blood pressure, do not have the undesirable effects of alcohol. If alcohol were a newly discovered drug (instead of a drink dating back to the dawn of human history), we can be sure that no pharmaceutical company would develop it to prevent cardiovascular disease. Nor would many physicians use a therapy that might reduce the rate of myocardial infarction by 25 to 50 percent, but that would result in thousands of additional deaths per year due to cancer, motor vehicle accidents, and liver disease." *

I used to hear stories about those liberal southern California Adventists and their proclivity to drink alcohol. Having lived in both northern and southern California, I was led by my own observations to the conclusion that this rumor did not live up to its embellished reputation. My having said that, the Valuegenesis report and other studies performed by competent researchers have uncovered the reality that Adventists are not as abstinent as we may think or desire. The factors behind the initiation and maintenance of drinking among Adventists are many, and certainly beyond the scope of this article to explain. But one thing is sure: we do fail in our ability both to recognize truthfully the positives that alcohol does have to offer, and to suggest healthier alternatives.

Why I Don't Drink
This is not a scientific treatise as to why we should not drink alcohol, though there is a place for such articles. Instead, I would like to list seven of many reasons I choose to live an alcohol-free lifestyle. I believe that our friends often wish to hear our story, and not the church's position, as to why we choose to abstain from alcohol.

1. Abstinence is a great conversation starter. While we worked around the gross anatomy dissection table during my first year of medical school, the conversation among my classmates turned to the anticipated activities for the weekend. Not surprisingly their plans centered largely on alcohol. When I asked them what it was like to feel drunk, they were surprised to hear that I had never been drunk. But there was a stunned silence when they learned that not only had I never been drunk; I hadn't even knowingly had a single drink! We then engaged in a friendly and lively discussion about the pros and cons of alcohol consumption. Some of them even admitted that they wished alcohol did not play such a dominant role in their lives.

2. The thought of addiction scares me. I know enough theory about how addictions develop to realize that I could be an easy victim to alcohol. Let's be honest. Alcoholic beverages have not had global esteem across the millennia simply because of their physical properties, such as aroma, color, and viscosity. Because humans naturally attempt to avoid pain and seek pleasure, it is the gratifying sensations derived from altering the functions of the central nervous system that give alcohol its wide popularity. The mind-modifying triad of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine has almost universal acceptance, and it's not easy to ignore their presence or their influences. Just because alcohol is legal and socially acceptable doesn't make it any less a dangerous drug of addiction.

Although genes may have a role in predisposing some persons to alcohol, let's be absolutely clear that the human body has no physiological requirement for alcohol. Vitamin A is not an abbreviation for vitamin alcohol. Dependence upon alcohol is formed through a process of exposure followed by tolerance, leading to an artificial physiological requirement for alcohol.

3. Alcohol is hard on the body. There's no question that I avoid alcohol because it is toxic to body tissues. I used to demonstrate to school children how alcohol can denature the structure of protein in the body. I did this by taking some pure ethanol alcohol and mixing it with the white of a chicken egg. Try it for yourself, and see what happens. The protein of the white actually turns white as its structure undergoes significant and irreversible change. Although people don't usually drink 100 percent alcohol, it is reasonable to expect that less potent drinks will still interact with body tissues in a way that is not always healthy.

4. I can't afford to drink. It's an eye-opener to scan the price list of the wine menu in restaurants. Alcohol products don't come cheap. It's not unusual for my friends to go through a few bottles of reasonable-quality wines and at least a dozen cans of beer each week. Their alcohol bill is at least half of my food bill each week! We complain about the price of gas for our cars, but don't mind paying 30 or more times that amount per liter for a drink. I'm happy for my money to be spent on other things.

5. I don't mind being different. During my youth I tried to conceal my nondrinking status. I'm now happy to talk about my nondrinking lifestyle as much as drinkers are happy to talk about theirs. People respect you for adopting a stance that is so contrary to popular practices. From newly made acquaintances on a plane flight to work associates and family, I've had tremendous opportunities to share a lifestyle that is liberating. Whenever I hear someone say that they don't drink, I usually ask them why they have made such a choice. No matter what the reasons, I will always congratulate them for their choice.

Your alcohol-free lifestyle is probably admired by more people than you may realize. Jesus had a ministry that was so influential because His teachings and personal lifestyle were in perfect harmony. And here lies the secret of personal witness: our friends will be attracted to the positive attributes of our lifestyle when they see that not only is our profession in alignment with our lifestyle, but that it also benefits us. We can't denigrate the negative aspects of their lifestyle and believe that this is what it means to show them a better way.

6. Alcohol induces destructive behaviors. I never need to worry about finding a taxi or an alternative driver after my social events. It's nice to know that my choice of beverage doesn't increase the risk of harm to my passengers or others on the roads.

Alcohol is a substantial culprit in domestic violence, road accidents, workplace accidents, vandalism, promiscuity, poor business decisions, and so much more. In a recent social event at our local university, alcohol was blamed for the behavior of medical students involved in a rampage that led to significant damage and looting in the clinical school and hospital. It appears that alcohol will now be restricted or removed from such events in the future.

7. God wants my whole (and sober) mind. If someone asked why you don't drink and you responded by saying that you have an allergy to alcohol, that would be considered quite acceptable. Or if you said that there was a strong family history of alcoholism and you didn't want to take the risk, that would be fine too. If you indicated that the smell or taste of alcohol was yucky, that would be OK as well. But if you responded by saying that you don't drink because the Bible speaks against the consumption of alcohol, you can be assured of further interrogation!

I am prepared to trust what God has revealed in His Word. He made me, and He knows what is best for me. I honestly have no idea whether alcohol would help or hinder my connection with the divine realm since I have never used alcohol. I suspect, though, when looking to Scripture and to the experiences of others as a guide, that alcohol would hinder my relationship with God. Most of us have witnessed the ruinous effects of alcohol on interpersonal relationships. It therefore seems reasonable that alcohol could have a negative bearing on a divine relationship.

I am grateful for being raised in a home without alcohol, providing me with a foundation from which to make an informed decision about alcohol use. But when all the uplifting influences of family, church membership, friends, and education were considered, I still had to make a choice. And I am totally satisfied with my choice.

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* I. J. Goldberg, "To Drink or Not to Drink?" New England Journal of Medicine 348 (2003): 163, 164.

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Robert H.Granger, M.D., writes from Tasmania, Australia.