No amount of alcohol is safe, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
American medical influencer Dr Daniel G Amen in a TikTok video quoted the centre where research has found the popular beverage being unsafe at any amount of consumption.
Dr Amen said the American Cancer Society had also came out against any alcohol consumption as it increases the risk of seven different kinds of cancer.
"Alcohol is poison, it's a toxin, you're drinking a disinfectant. Why would you do that if you love yourself?" he said in the clip.
Furthermore, Dr Amen brought up another study from Spain that found alcohol of any volume was capable of decreasing white matters health in one's brain.
The physician described white matters as the "highways, the tracks” as well as the communication of parts of brain which are critical to keep it healthy.
"I know I'm a bummer. I hate that, but if you have a better brain, you're going to have a better life,” he said.
Dr Amen serves as a psychiatrist and brain disorder specialist. He is a five-time New York Times best-selling author as of 2012.
He has built a profitable business around the use of SPECT imaging for purported diagnostic purposes. On his social pages such as TikTok and Instagram, he had garnered almost two million followers on each platform.
In May 2011, the World Health Organisation (WHO) named Malaysia as the world’s 10th largest consumer of alcohol despite its small population and size and large number of Muslims. According to WHO statistics, Malaysians spent over US$5000 million on alcohol with a per capita consumption of seven litres.
This led to more strict rulings in alcohol consumption in the country via amendments made through the Health Ministry gazetted on May 27, 2017, which had been announced by then Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam.
Although alcohol continuous to be openly available in Malaysia except for Muslims in Kelantan and Terengganu, the legal age for drinking in the country was raised to 21-years old in Dec 1, 2017 similar to the United States.
There were also further restrictions on compounded hard liquor (CHL) which can only be sold in 700 ml glass bottles.
All alcoholic drink packagings must carry the health warning, "Drinking alcohol is bad for health’’. The same warning must be displayed at all businesses that sell alcoholic drinks.
Failure to comply with this will be an offence punishable with a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or a jail term of not more than two years.
Failure to comply with the CHL requirements will be an offence punishable with no more than RM5,000 fine or a jail term of not more than two years.
This was in line with the World Health Organisation’s ‘Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol’.