A recent study shows that there might not be a one-size-fits-all answer to what a safe level of alcohol is.

As previous studies have said that light or moderate drinking can reduce heart risk, alcohol is more likely to do harm than not.

Compared to not drinking at all, partaking in one standard drink, whether that be one small beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of hard liquor, once a day over the span of a year, increases the risk of one to two dozen health risks by .05 per cent, according to researcher Max Griswold.

Statistics have shown that 914 people out of 100,000 who have no drinks develop a condition within a year, whereas 918 people out of 100,000 who have one alcoholic beverage a day develop an alcohol-related condition within a year.

"Well it certainly has some points that it raises and there have been many studies on the use of alcohol," said Consulting Medical Officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority Dr. David Torr. "Some studies showing good effects or beneficial effects from lower levels of consumption, and others that show detrimental effects, so it sort of brings a lot of that together. It also shows how complex the whole issue is, there's no one straight answer, to [the question] is alcohol good or bad. There's just so much variation."

Torr went on to say that it varies from person to person.

"The amounts of alcohol that are taken, how regularly, how much at each go, it's a really complex topic. Certainly what we do know is that with more consumption there is more danger and more effects on different organs. There's long-term effects and also short-term effects."

Torr said the bottom line is that one has to be very careful with how much alcohol they consume and what acts one might partake in while under the effects of alcohol.