Your Wine and Beer are Deadlier than Fentanyl with Isabella Cueto and Lev Facher
Summary
Adam Conover is joined by Stat journalists Lev Fasher and Isabella Cueto to discuss alcohol as America’s deadliest drug, causing nearly 180,000 annual deaths. They debunk myths about moderate drinking’s health benefits, highlighting risks like cancer and brain shrinkage even at low levels. The episode examines how corporate influence and cultural norms prevent public health measures, such as nutrition labeling, that successfully reduced smoking harms.
Topics discussed
Intro and Arizona State University sponsorship
The hidden health risks of alcohol and public health comparisons
Interview introduction: Alcohol's societal harm vs. fentanyl
Myths of moderate drinking and the cigarette comparison
Industry influence on policy, taxes, and labeling
Conflicting messaging on alcohol and dietary guidelines
Sponsors: Delete Me, Dunk Man, and Shopify
Hard data: 178,000 annual deaths and disease links
Cancer risks, Gen Z trends, and marketing to women
The rise of hard seltzers and high-alcohol products
Host's personal journey with low-grade alcohol addiction
Treatment gaps, AA limitations, and the temperance movement
Sponsors: WhatNot, Hungry Root, and Squarespace
Social stigma and the binary view of alcohol problems
GLP-1s for addiction and public health interventions
Practical tips and shifting societal conversations
Outro and Patreon support
California Closets sponsorship
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