Is there really a link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk? The surgeon general’s latest advisory

If something is delightful, delicious, or distinctly enjoyable, you can bet it’s bad for you. Candy is bad for your teeth, bad for your waistline, and can cause diabetes; obsessing over your electronics is bad for your eyes, your sleep, and your stress level; excessive gaming can lead to depression and mental health issues; and coffee can increase your cholesterol.

There seem to be downsides to damn near everything, but at least a nice cold drink at the end of the day makes all the bleak news feel a bit brighter. Unless, of course, that same glass of whiskey is likewise damaging our heath. Fresh studies about the downsides of liquor are released near-annually, but the latest paints a particularly concerning picture of how excessive — and even infrequent — alcohol consumption can affect the body.

Can drinking alcohol increase risk of cancer?

In terrible news for those of us fresh off a New Years Eve binge, there has in fact been a link identified between alcohol consumption and cancer. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy announced as much in an advisory issued at the start of 2025, informing the nation that our weekend dish sessions are likely putting us at far higher risk of eventual health issues.

We already know alcohol consumption can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, stroke, digestive issues, and negative effects on our immune systems, not to mention how it affects our weight, productivity, and sleep. But, as if we needed more motivation for Dry January, a link between alcohol and cancer has now been definitively outlined.

According to the Jan. 3 advisory, consumption of alcohol is officially the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States. It closely follows tobacco and obesity. That’s not all either, so brace yourselves, fellow booze lovers.

The risk of a number of cancers — including breast, throat, and mouth cancer — may be increased by the consumption of just one drink per day. Even less. Which means that even a half glass of wine during dinner can be detrimental to your health.

The link between alcohol and cancer isn’t a brand-new revelation, but because so many Americans ignore this looming reality, the surgeon general is working to underline the message. In the released advisory, it notes that a number of additional factors play into cancer risk, but if you’re already prone to the disease — something that can be impacted by your biological background, environment, and even economic state — that risk is heavily increased with each extra drink you consume.

“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy explained in a statement accompanying the advisory. “This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”