(WHTM) — April is National Alcohol Awareness Month. For years, there have been claims that alcohol, such as red wine, can be good for your heart. However, the World Heart Federation says otherwise.

In a policy brief, they have announced that no alcohol is safe.

“We know from lots of studies that alcohol does raise blood pressure, a little bit, not a lot, but if you increase blood pressure even a little bit, it increases the risk of stroke. And so, the idea that maybe a drink or two a day is good probably is wrong,” Dr. Steven Nissen of Cleveland Clinic said.

According to the federation, in 2019, nearly 2.4 million deaths were attributed to alcohol, accounting for 4.3% of all deaths globally.

In addition, alcohol has been linked to a variety of diseases and cancer. Dr. Nissen agrees with the federation’s stance. He says it is clear from all the new research, that alcohol is not beneficial. However, if someone wants to drink, moderation is key.

But, Dr. Nissen notes even that can be a slippery slope.

The federation also has made several recommendations to help reduce alcohol consumption and is now calling on governments for more advocacy.

“I do think we need to communicate clearly to the public that alcohol is not beneficial, that a little bit of alcohol is probably not harmful, but don’t expect benefits,” Dr. Nissen said.,

Dr. Nissen said if you are concerned about how much alcohol you are drinking on a regular basis, it is important to reach out for help.