As the new year begins, many individuals are participating in Dry January, coinciding with a notable surgeon general’s advisory concerning alcohol consumption and its link to cancer.
Historically, moderate drinking was believed to convey heart-related benefits, but advancements in research methodologies have cast doubt on these claims.
Dr. Timothy Naimi, who heads the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, emphasizes that reducing alcohol intake is significantly beneficial for overall health.

On Friday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy highlighted the need to update the current health warning label for alcoholic beverages to incorporate concerns about cancer risks.
This proposed change must be approved by Congress before it can be implemented.

So, what are the risks associated with alcohol consumption?
Research indicates that alcohol increases the likelihood of developing several cancer types, such as those affecting the colon, liver, breast, and oral regions.
Once consumed, alcohol is metabolized into acetaldehyde, a substance that can inflict cellular damage and hinder self-repair mechanisms, fostering an environment conducive to cancer growth.
Naimi suggests that thousands of fatalities in the U.S. each year could potentially be avoided if people adhered to federal dietary guidelines, which recommend that men limit their intake to two drinks daily and women to one drink.
One standard drink is roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a single shot of liquor.

Murthy’s advisory notes that nearly 100,000 cases of cancer related to alcohol consumption and around 20,000 deaths annually occur in the United States.
He urges individuals to be mindful of their drinking habits, stating, “less is better when it comes to cancer risk,” in a post on the social media platform X.

What about the notion of moderate drinking being beneficial?
This belief stemmed from flawed studies that compared people on the basis of their drinking. Typically, this comparison occurred at a single moment, and none of these studies randomized participants to either drink or abstain, thus failing to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
Furthermore, those who report moderate alcohol consumption often possess higher education levels, greater incomes, and better access to healthcare, which Naimi points out can skew results.
When these factors are taken into account, the perceived benefits of moderate drinking seem to diminish significantly.

Additionally, most studies have a notable lack of younger participants; nearly half of the deaths linked to alcohol-related causes occur before the age of 50.
Naimi comments, “If you’re studying people who survived into middle age, didn’t quit drinking because of a problem, and didn’t become heavy drinkers, that’s a very selective group.”
This selective sampling may create a misleading impression of health benefits from moderate drinking, leading to what he describes as a statistical illusion.

Other studies further dispute the idea of alcohol’s health benefits by contrasting individuals with a gene variant that makes consumption unpleasant to those without it.
Generally, those possessing this gene variant drink significantly less. One such study revealed that these individuals had a lower incidence of heart disease, further challenging the notion that alcohol intake protects against heart-related issues.

When it comes to public health guidelines, there is considerable variation internationally, but the prevailing trend advocates for reduced alcohol consumption.
Recent evaluations in countries like the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Holland, and Australia have led to lowered alcohol intake recommendations.
Ireland is set to enforce cancer warning labels on alcohol by 2026.
Carina Ferreira-Borges, a regional advisor for alcohol at the World Health Organization’s regional office for Europe, asserts, “The scientific consensus has shifted due to the overwhelming evidence linking alcohol to over 200 health conditions, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and injuries.”

Naimi had a role on an advisory committee that sought to decrease the U.S. guideline for alcohol consumption among men to one drink per day, which was ultimately dismissed by federal authorities when recommendations were released in 2020.
He concludes with a straightforward message that aligns with the existing evidence: if one chooses to drink, the consensus is that less is indeed more with respect to health outcomes.