The NZ Herald reports (opens new window) that "a leading scientist" (Dr Poikolainen) has said a bottle of wine a day would do no harm to your health, and that drinking more than the current recommended daily amount of alcohol is more beneficial than not drinking at all. Dr Poikolainen has also written a book on the subject - "Perfect Drinking and its Enemies" (opens new window):

"Drinking is essential to health. Perfect drinking... brings about health benefits, tastes good and helps you to enjoy life more. This book will provide evidence and suggest ways to hone your drinking skills."

Of course, it's unsurprising that many people disagree (opens new window) with his opinion - including many government organisations dedicated to reducing the harm caused by alcohol. One of the biggest questions being asked is what evidence the claims are based on. Dr Poikolainen talks about "decades of evidence", but nobody seems to be able to find out what this evidence is.