Newspapers tout the health benefits of alcohol; "60 Minutes" reports that red wine may be good for the heart; a recent issue of Fortune magazine cries out from its cover, "Drink Wine, Live Longer."

Doesn’t this go against everything we’ve been taught?

"A little bit of wine, moderate alcohol is a little helpful," says cardiologist David Kurzrock, M.D. "But I don’t encourage people to drink for their heart. It’s not a health food. People sometimes use these reports as an excuse to drink more."

The same issue concerns Mike Menefee, Ph.D., clinical director of Mills-Peninsula’s Chemical Dependency Treatment Program.

"While most individuals manage moderate drinking," says Dr. Menefee, "about 10 to 15 percent of the population is unable to due to a variety of reasons, such as genetic and cultural factors, including poor coping skills for dealing with very stressful situations.

"It’s great when people can balance it," says Dr. Menefee. "But there’s a slippery slope with alcoholism.

"Some people find that alcohol manages them; it becomes habitual and out of control," Dr. Menefee says. "Men tend to seek medical attention less frequently than women, so they tend to run the risk of being in denial. They feel that admitting to an alcohol problem is a sign of weakness."

Dr. Kurzrock also cautions that wine drinkers in many studies may be healthier to begin with.

"There is some data that suggests people who drink wine are different than people who drink other beverages," he says. "They’re in a higher socioeconomic group, they’re fitter – you can’t compare wine drinkers versus beer drinkers. Wine drinkers tend to be wealthier, they tend not to smoke, they tend to exercise more. People want you to say that if you drink wine you’re not going to have a heart attack – that’s not necessarily true."

Dr. Kurzrock says 8 ounces of wine consumed with a meal may be beneficial, but it’s important to be honest about how much you’re drinking. "Some people say, 'I’m having two drinks a day,' but they’re drinking out of a 12-ounce glass.

"For anybody who ever had a problem with excessive drinking, I recommend complete abstinence," he says.

"Alcohol is a carbohydrate," says Dr. Kurzrock. "Beer has more carbohydrates than wine. If somebody has borderline diabetes or a weight problem, beer has a lot of calories, and the wrong kind. Alcohol is kind of like sugar. People who have weight problems shouldn’t be drinking their calories, as a rule.

"Red wine has antioxidants which are believed to be beneficial," says Dr. Kurzrock. "That being said, you can get the same antioxidants from eating fruits and vegetables."

There are many other ways to get the benefits that one or two glasses of wine offer, he says. "We never tell people to drink wine."

The warning signs of a drinking problem include increased consumption and preoccupation with alcohol.

"San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom recognized he was thinking about drinking too much, and he was looking forward to drinking more than was appropriate," says Dr. Menefee. "Men, like women, start hiding their drinking. They stash their six-pack in the garage. Women tend to hide their bottle of vodka in the shoebox; men go into the garage and drink. Men should only have carports."

Contact the Chemical Dependency Treatment Program at 650.696.5909.