Alcohol - a monitored, restricted and often enjoyed American pastime - has recently been redeemed by the most unlikely source: the medical community. Conducted by the American Cancer Society, the most extensive study of alcohol's effects on health was recently completed with irrefutably positive results, according to The New York Times. As many reports have shown in the past two decades, the study confirms that moderate drinking facilitates cardiovascular health. Analysis of data from over 21,000 men during a 12-year period demonstrated that the consumption of two to four drinks per week reduced a subject's risk of cardiac-related death by 60 percent. Similar results are confirmed by what is know as the "French paradox." A study found that of 21 countries, France has the highest wine intake but the lowest cardiovascular mortality rate.

But unlike previous studies, which also found a direct relationship between alcohol and increased risk of breast cancer and other diseases, the American Cancer Society reported that the benefits far outweigh the risks.

The popularization of the medical benefits of alcohol has occurred in tandem with heightened concern over its underage consumption. A study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported that 20 percent of alcohol use in this country is attributable to underage drinkers. Moreover, another 30 percent is consumed by adults who drink excessively, meaning more than two drinks a day.

Motivated by these alarming statistics, the researchers have commenced an aggressive public health campaign to limit the advertisement and sale of alcohol to minors, according to an article in the Boston Globe. In the article, Chelsea Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program Director Amy Harris underscored her outrage, saying children as young as 11 or 12 are able to get their hands on and consume alcohol.

But while alcohol is held responsible for a public health crisis, it continues to receive positive medical attention. In addition to protecting individuals from heart disease and stroke, light drinking may actually benefit the liver, according to The New York Times. In a rat study conducted by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, scientists found that light alcohol consumption actually expedites the recovery of damaged livers. Moderate and excessive consumption, as well as abstinence, had negligible effects on the liver.

Whether in prevention of liver or cardiovascular disease, moderate drinking is key - one drink a day for women and two for men as defined by CNN's medial correspondent. In hotbeds of underage and excessive drinking, such as college campuses, is it then possible to promote such sensible consumption of alcohol, or must it be fully counteracted?

Legally, the simple answer is "no," according to both Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett and Director of Student Development and Judicial Education Sean McGuirk. With more than half of its students under 21, a university cannot promote any type of alcohol consumption. Still, Bennett recognizes that "as long as alcohol is legal and such a significant part of our culture, it is unrealistic to expect that people won't drink." She added that the "risks associated with alcohol are widely associated with (its) excessive use," giving the examples of "binge drinking, drinking to unconsciousness, drinking to the point of being unable to assess situations, (which) ... are certainly the focus on a college campus."

McGuirk, chair of the Brandeis Alcohol Task Force, agrees that completely eliminating alcohol abuse on a college campus is a laudable but unmanageable goal. "If a student is under 21, then helping that student not drink at all would be the ideal," he said, "but if suppression were the goal for all students, you would see far more colleges around the country go to being 'dry' campuses ... but even then you would probably have some students drinking."

Despite resigning to the inevitability of drinking, when it comes to underage consumers, both Bennett and McGuirk say they feel moderation is not a sufficient goal. "The sights are set on educating students about the decision-making power they have, the personal effects of alcohol ... and the expectations of the University," McGuirk said.

"If indeed moderate use of alcohol lowers the risk of everything from cancer to heart conditions," Bennett said, " its probably just as effective to eat well balanced and nutritious food, exercise, get adequate sleep and wait to order that drink until you are of legal age!