A recent article in the AZ Starnet cited industry professionals who are noticing the increasing number of people in Japan turning to alcohol after retiring. Many of these individuals are developing an addiction and are unable to control their intake. When they try to withdraw from alcohol, they experience the shakes, nausea and hallucinations, among other symptoms.

According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, 800,000 alcoholics are receiving treatment throughout Japan and as many as 4.4 million people might be incipient addicts. In a survey of 11 major hospitals that specialize in alcohol treatments, the number of individuals over the age of 60 seeking treatment for alcohol dependency has increased 1.4 times since 1997.

The percentage of elderly addicts among all new people seeking treatment for alcoholism rose from 23.3 percent to 26.7 percent in the same time frame. Society’s inability to fully recognize this illness is being partially blamed for the increase. Too often, friends and family will tolerate the drinking as a reward for a lifetime of hard work. While loved ones have good intentions, they fail to understand the risks for the elderly.

"As people get older, their liver function deteriorates, and they become less able to hold their alcohol. Elderly people can become addicted quickly," said Susumu Higuchi, a doctor and deputy director of the Kurihama Alcoholism Center in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. "As they become frail, they can easily slip or fall when drunk. It’s very dangerous."

Reports emerged in February that highlighted the association between moderate drinking and higher rates of breast, liver and rectal cancer among women. Quickly on its heels was a study that showed a correlation between alcohol use and an increased risk for pancreatic cancer. Still another research team produced documentation that found higher rates of prostate cancer in men who consumed even moderate amounts of alcohol.

With so much bad news all at once, it could easily be assumed that there is no healthy level of alcohol and it should always be avoided. Yet, another study begged to differ as it showed men and post-menopausal women who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol had higher bone mineral density.

Conflicting reports can lend to confusion when trying to make a decision about the benefits or risks of consuming alcohol. And, some casual drinkers may find the cancer risk outweighs the bone mineral density benefits. Katherine L. Tucker, of Tufts University, led the group that examined the findings from the bone study which showed a fine line between healthy and hurtful.

According to Tucker, bone density was higher among those individual who consumed one to two drinker per day when compared with non-drinkers. Yet at the same time, osteoporosis was highest amongst heavy drinkers. So, moderation is important if a person chooses to drink.

Tucker and other experts in the field recommend that a person know and understand their own risks before making a choice on taking the first drink. What could be beneficial for some, could also be life-threatening for others. There are no absolutes, but moderation appears to be the best choice every time.