Can we go back a bit and, and can explain quite briefly – you’ve written a book of 300 pages on the topic – what makes alcohol at any level of consumption so risky? David broadcasts widely to the general public both on radio and television, including BBC science and public affairs programs on therapeutic as well as illicit drugs, their harms, and their classification.

From denying its classification as a drug to allowing alcohol companies to make up 50% of alcohol advisory boards, politicians’ response to drinking is surprising, especially given the burdens it places on our national services.The second thing is he reduced the drink driving limit, and that massively reduced deaths on the road. It is a message from someone whom Government has tasked to address the problems alcohol poses to us individually and collectively, and whose scientific findings were then dismissed as unwelcome.

Alcohol is inevitably metabolized from ethanol to acetaldehyde and that is an even more dangerous substance, because acetaldehyde can get into cells and disrupt the DNA, the genetic material of cells, and make them more likely to go malignant.

Although drinking in the United Kingdom has gone down slightly since 2010, overall consumption is double that of the 1960s, and Britons get drunk an average of 50 times a year. You'll learn about alcohol's effects on the brain, body, and society, all while feeling like you're at a lively cocktail party with a brilliant host. The first chapter covers the basics of what happens when we drink alcohol: from the initial reactions to the hangovers the following day.