ALCOHOLOGY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 361, 12 April 1910, Page 7

ALCOHOLOGY.

LONG LIFE OK DRINK? (Published by .Arrangement). To refer to a, teetotaller, or to a moderate drinker, who has attained to a great age is not of much value in forming an opinion on the effects of strong I drink on the length of life, for a man I may live to a great age under most adj verse circumstances, but, when we examine into the mode of life and deathrate of large numbers of people we are able to come to a certain conclusion. There are several sources from which we can draw our facts which prove conclusively that drink, even in moderation, is not conducive to long life and that total abstainers live longer than cwhikcrs, even moderate drinkers. The statistics of the Registrar-General, of friendly societies and of insurance associations are reliable sources of information on this topic. Of the last class here mentioned, insurance associations, the ■best example is "The United Kingdom Temperance and General Provident Institution.-'' This institution was started. in 1840, and it began in this wise: A Mr. Warner wished to take out an insurance policy on his life, but the companies of that "day, in common with general opinion, thought that a certain amount of alcoholic drink was essential to health and long life and so they proposed to rate Mi\ Warner up and make him pay more because he "was a teetotaller. He refused and shortly afterwards joins* a few others in forming the now large and flourishing U.K.H. and G. Provident Institution. After nearly 70 years' experience this institution is able to speak ■with certainty as to the effects of total abstinence on length of life, and also to compare teetotallers with moderate drinkers from the records in their own •books. At first this institution only insured total abstainers, but afterwards opened a general section to which noni abstainers were admitted. In the 60 years, from 1841 to 1901, 125.000 policies of all kinds were issued, but for the : purpose now under consideration only whole life policies on healthy male lives are considered. Of these there were in the general or non-abstaining section 31,776, of whom 8947 died. In the abstaining section there were 29,094 policies, with 5.124 deaths. This gives a large volume of experience, with about GO,OOO policies and more than 14,000 deaths. This so far shows that 17.6 per cent of the abstainers died, while 28.1 per cent, of the non-abstainers passed away. A reference to the tables showing the deaths at various ages irom 20 to 05, if space here permitted, would show that the most marked difference in the death rate k when men are in the prime of life, say from 35 to 45, when the death rate of the teetotallers is .495 per cent., and of the moderate drinker, for drunkards were not insured, the rate is' .883 per cent. All the other large insurance associations, where I separate sections have been kept for ! drinkers and for teetotallers, show simiI lar results. Only to quote one, the Sceptre Life Asoeiation: Twenty-five years' experience shows that while in the general section the deaths were 2453 out of 3079 expected deaths, or 79.0 per cent., in the temperance section, where 2047 deaths were expected, there were I only 1086, or 53.0 per cent. To come ■ nearer home: The report of the Public Actuary of South Australia, on the average death rates among members of friendly societies, shows that abstainers' societies have an average de&th-rate of .689, while the non-abstainers' societies average 1.381 deaths. Looking at it in another way: What are the prospects of. life for each of these classes ? Mr. R. M. Moore, in a paper read to the Institute of actuaries answers: Out of even 7 100,000 drinkers 56,000 will die tteiore the age of 70 years, and of 100,000 teetallers only 45,000 will do so. Only the mere fringe of this subject has been touched; if the deaths from various diseases, say, those two scourges of humanity, consumption and cancer, are considered it is found that drinkers go off in much larger proportion than teetotallers. But this must pass. It is, however, evident that what is commonly (jailed moderate drinking has a most injurious influence on health and life. and that the best practice, both in the interests of longevity, health and morality, consists in the avoidance of all alcoholic drinks as a beverage.