Dr. Sarah Wakeman

The amount of alcohol it takes to begin to cause health-related problems is much lower than you think. Okay, so if I have this glass of wine every day... You'd be in what we call moderate risk, which is associated with pretty much every form of cancer. So say that I'm drinking... If you're drinking two of those glasses, we're talking like a 40% increase.

The amount of alcohol it takes to begin to cause health-related problems is much lower than you think. Okay, so if I have this glass of wine every day... You'd be in what we call moderate risk, which is associated with pretty much every form of cancer. So say that I'm drinking... If you're drinking two of those glasses, we're talking like a 40% increase.

But even drinking that amount, your risk of breast cancer would increase by about 5%. This much?

But even drinking that amount, your risk of breast cancer would increase by about 5%. This much?

which for many people is very normal. So there's a lot of misinformation out there about how much should you drink, which I think people don't know. But I can take you through everything, so. Dr. Sarah Wakeman is a Harvard professor and addiction expert. Leading the charge against one of the biggest public health crises of our time. Addiction, bringing facts, empathy, and hard-earned truth.

which for many people is very normal. So there's a lot of misinformation out there about how much should you drink, which I think people don't know. But I can take you through everything, so. Dr. Sarah Wakeman is a Harvard professor and addiction expert. Leading the charge against one of the biggest public health crises of our time. Addiction, bringing facts, empathy, and hard-earned truth.

One in three people may have a problem with alcohol at some point in their lives. And globally, 2.6 million people every year die from alcohol-related causes because pretty much every organ in the body is impacted by it. You can see here, this is a 43-year-old person where their brain looks the way a 90-year-old with dementia would look because of that brain damage over time from alcohol use.

One in three people may have a problem with alcohol at some point in their lives. And globally, 2.6 million people every year die from alcohol-related causes because pretty much every organ in the body is impacted by it. You can see here, this is a 43-year-old person where their brain looks the way a 90-year-old with dementia would look because of that brain damage over time from alcohol use.

But what drives people to use substances is probably the most important question. And if we look at studies, one is about 40% to 60% genetics. And the other half of the equation is trauma. And so we hear someone talk about alcohol gives them pain relief, whether that's emotional or physical. That's a very real thing. That's because your sort of natural painkiller system is activated by drinking.

But what drives people to use substances is probably the most important question. And if we look at studies, one is about 40% to 60% genetics. And the other half of the equation is trauma. And so we hear someone talk about alcohol gives them pain relief, whether that's emotional or physical. That's a very real thing. That's because your sort of natural painkiller system is activated by drinking.

It's an anti-anxiety and a pain medication sort of all in one.

It's an anti-anxiety and a pain medication sort of all in one.

The biggest problem is that people haven't been given the evidence and tools to understand addiction. But also many rehabs don't offer the things that we know are actually effective.

The biggest problem is that people haven't been given the evidence and tools to understand addiction. But also many rehabs don't offer the things that we know are actually effective.

That's a great question. One of the most effective tools we teach people is something called... And they found that people drank much less after it.

That's a great question. One of the most effective tools we teach people is something called... And they found that people drank much less after it.

My mission is really to change the way people think about and understand alcohol and drug problems, and also to give people the evidence and the facts, both to understand addiction, which are sort of problems related to alcohol and drug use, but also to just understand the science around, for example, how much should you drink? Is drinking healthy? Is it not healthy?

My mission is really to change the way people think about and understand alcohol and drug problems, and also to give people the evidence and the facts, both to understand addiction, which are sort of problems related to alcohol and drug use, but also to just understand the science around, for example, how much should you drink? Is drinking healthy? Is it not healthy?

There's a lot of misinformation out there, and I want to give people the tools to make the right decision for them in their lives.

There's a lot of misinformation out there, and I want to give people the tools to make the right decision for them in their lives.