The study found that people who drank a little had, on average, better health than those that abstained entirely. The study failed to mention that a notable portion of those that abstain were abstaining due to health reasons. As in, their health was already bad and was the reason they chose not (or were not allowed) to drink. But, of course, the alcohol industry ran with the first part and has been pushing it ever since. Once you reduce the abstinent group to only those freely abstaining, the average health for the dry subjects is back in the lead.