Via Andrew Sullivan, we stumble upon a study which claims that drinking causes cancer. The findings:

• The risk of esophageal cancer nearly doubled in the first two years following alcohol cessation, a sharp increase that may be due to the fact that some people only stop drinking when they are already experiencing disease symptoms. However, risk then decreased rapidly and significantly after longer periods of abstention.
• Risk of head and neck cancer only reduced significantly after 10 years of cessation.
• After more than 20 years of alcohol cessation, the risks for both cancers were similar to those seen in people who never drank alcohol.

Andrew worries about a new paternalistic obsession in the offing. I sort of doubt it. If someone smokes around me, my health is negatively impacted by their habit. If someone binge drinks in my presence, the worst thing I’ll get is vomit on my trousers—not the most solid foundation to build a crusade upon.