Past age 65, binge drinking, defined as four or more drinks in one sitting, may have permanent consequences on the human brain, including memory loss and accelerated cognitive decline, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, as reported in Bloomberg News, article here.
Although this study does not contradict previous and oft-reported studies that indicate moderate amounts of alcohol can slow such declines, perhaps those more popular reports should be reevaluated not just because of this excellent New Yorker article on the questionable replicability of scientific research, but because of the potential for favorable bias that researchers on this subject might possess. In other words: Denial aint just a river in Egypt.
I have always said (at least for the past five years) that intoxication, while sometimes excusable and on occasion even charming in youth, becomes less and less attractive as one gets older.