The display picture is our Moon as revealed by X-rays (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031004.html). One possible interpretation of the image as used here is that the subject is only partly illuminated, with poor resolution, and is reminiscent of the current alcohol warning label in that neither the appearance of the Moon nor the effects of alcohol are conveyed well.

Alcohol creates health and law enforcement problems, but also has some health benefits, especially when used in moderation, such as between a quarter of a glass of wine to a half of a glass of wine, once per day, with the last meal of the day, provided whoever drinks it is over 21 and is not going to drive a vehicle, operate machinery, or anything else that can be dangerous--which can even be walking across the street. In fact, alcohol can be very dangerous. Pedestrians who are fatally struck by vehicles have a significantly increased chance of being intoxicated, compared to people on average.

Because alcohol can be so dangerous, physicians seldom if ever recommend to people that they drink. What they do tell patients (or should tell patients) is, if they drink, then do so lightly. Alcohol per se is not a bad thing, but abuse of it is too frequently deadly.

As people age, the risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis increase. When large numbers of people are studied, it is generally found that there is a J-shaped curve, which is a plot or a graph. The up and down portion of the graph represents the risk of something such as cardiovascular disease, and the horizontal portion of the graph represents the amount of alcohol a person usually consumes. A person who doesn't drink any alcohol at all has a greater risk of cardiovascular disease compared to someone who drinks lightly, such as 2 or 3 fluid ounces of wine per day, which is about a quarter to a half of a "standard" drink. (Not all people agree what a "standard" drink is, but generally it is about 5 or 6 fluid ounces of wine.) If a person drinks more, such as more than two drinks per day, then the risks start climbing. Drinking any alcohol can be risky. For women, the risk of breast cancer increases about 9% for every drink. If they average two drinks per day, then generally speaking the woman's risk of breast cancer is about 18% higher than it would be compared to not drinking at all. So, it would seem that it would be smart to error on the side of drinking a bit too little, rather than a bit too much.

More articles are always coming out in medical journals which paint a finer and finer picture of the benefits and risks associated with alcohol. One recent article by a medical doctor showed a great deal of worry by the doctor. He said that "dead is dead" and if a person drinks for better health, and then has a traffic accident and is killed, then the alcohol certainly didn't do him any good. It is a very justified worry.

On the other hand, people have a right to easy access to good information, and that information ought to be woven right into the alcohol warning label. People respond when they get information that tells them why, rather than some generality. Advertising is a whole another matter, and it probably misleads people with generalities, such as "Drink responsibly." If people did drink responsibly, then they would never drink more than about a half drink most of the time, and people who buy a six-pack of beer would probably not take to they idea that they should only drink half of a beer. So a good warning label might not win easy support of the alcohol companies, but if the alcohol companies were really smart, then they would try to get people to stop abusing alcohol, and get more people drinking about one half drink per day. If they could sell one half drink to more people, then in the long run people and the country would be better off.

The "record" for the number of people killed by a drunk driver is 27, and that is something that is as bad as a terrorist attack. On the other hand, if someone lowers their chance of a heart attack by 30% by drinking one half drink per day, then that is a life saved. Somehow, the label needs to convey the message that alcohol itself is not bad, but abuse of it is. Abraham Lincoln made a statement to that effect, something like, "People have long known that alcohol isn't a bad thing, but abuse of it is." (I'll try to get the exact quote in here soon.)

The purpose of this MySpace group is to create a potential revision of the alcohol warning label. Below is a draft.

WARNING: Contains alcohol
(1) Do not drink and drive, or operate watercraft, aircraft or machinery. Drinking impairs your ability to do so safely.
(2) Do not drink if you are pregnant, may be pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Alcohol increases the risk of birth defects in unborn children and developmental abnormalities in children.
(3) Alcohol is addictive.
(4) If you are under 21 years of age, consumption of this product is illegal.
(5) Drinking increases the risk of cancer of the breast, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, pancreas and prostate.
(6) Chronic heavy drinking may harm the heart muscle, the nervous system, cause high blood pressure, and increase the risk of cirrhosis of the liver and fatal liver disease.
(7) Large amounts of alcohol can cause death by alcohol poisoning. If an intoxicated person cannot be wakened, call 911.
(8) If certain conditions are present, the risk of alcohol causing cancer, liver disease or other medical problems may increase. These conditions include infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or tobacco use, or obesity.
(9) Drinking can impair blood-sugar regulation.