There's downsides to heavy or frequent drinking, sure. But since the cancer risk is minimal, what's the downside of a glass of wine or beer a couple of times a week?

I'm less convinced of the negatives of this than I used to be. Humans are quite well adapted to alcohol.

If it's something you enjoy, I'd say go for it, in moderation. It's probably less unhealthy than e.g. living in a city, eating processed meat, or working an office job.

> Is it ever healthy to drink?

No. But drinking every now and then makes so little difference it's not a huge concern. Drinking a lot, though -- that's more problematic.

Like most of my friends around my age, I've cut out almost all alcohol in the last few years. None of us miss it. But it's still nice to drink occasionally, and I'm not going to stop entirely.

Of course. It's just that cancer as a key risk factor has grown in salience.