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Excellent discussion of absolute and relative risk in the context of alcohol safety. "But claiming there is no 'safe' level does not seem an argument for abstention. There is no safe level of driving, but government do not recommend that people avoid driving."

Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Media Watch is based on the same premise as the ABC show Media Watch. It aims to highlight poor examples of journalism regarding AOD-related issues in the hope that we can assist journalists to report more objectively using science and evidence rather than perpetuating myths, opinions and moral panic. Research has found moral panics in the media can actually be detrimental. Moral panics in the media can actually be detrimental by counter-intuitively leading to increased drug use since it increases the perception that more people are using the drug than actually are. It has also been found to found that moral panics reduce the degree to which some people believe that the drug being reported on is harmful. It also reduces the credibility of AOD information in the media.

Whether it's quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake or making healthier dietary choices, many of us have habits we'd like to change. But it's really hard to know which treatment path to take. To advise their patients on the best of course of action, doctors sometimes compare treatments using something called the "number needed to treat" (NNT). In deciding whether to embark on a course of treatment, NNT can help. But the term is easily misunderstood by patients, and doctors as well. So it's useful to break down what NNT means.