Drinking
The safest level of drinking is none - The Lancet

image by: Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit
HWN Suggests
Is drinking alcohol ever good for you? Here’s what the science says
So what gives? How can any substance be simultaneously associated with reduced risk of death and also increased cancer risk? How can big studies in well-regarded journals disagree on something as basic as harm or benefit? Why is the U.S. government seemingly arguing with itself? Is any amount of alcohol healthy? Answers to all of the above are complicated. There’s statistical biases and confounding factors that muddy the data, the financial interests and outside influence, and a lack of consensus on how to define terms such as risk and moderate. Researchers sometimes disagree with each other about how to interpret the available evidence, and what guidance is best for boosting health. But there…
Resources
Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health
Recent research makes it clear that any amount of drinking can be detrimental. Here’s why you may want to cut down on your consumption beyond Dry January.
How Much Alcohol Are You Really Drinking? Take Our Quiz to Find Out
When it comes to health risks, what is important is how much you drink and how you drink it. You can probably assume that the tequila shot staring at you from the sticky bartop isn’t good for you. But what about that glass of red wine at dinner?
Pour One Out
The boozy story of how we decided alcohol was a health boon in the ’90s—and how it all fell apart.
The truth about drinking alcohol. Is it healthy?
The newest research shows alcohol use is not good for your health. Even red wine has lost its halo, and the toll of heavy alcohol use is on the rise. Alcohol may have played a substantial role in humanity’s transition from hunting and gathering to farming, the strengthening social cohesion among our neolithic forebears, and the establishment of social hierarchies. The world’s most popular drug has lubricated conversations and coaxed countless reticent feet to dance floors since time immemorial. But it still isn’t good for your health. And, sorry: That includes red wine. There’s been no shortage of alcohol-related research over the years, and the science has evolved. In January 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, outlining the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk.
Should We All Stop Drinking Alcohol?
The risk of getting cancer rises with increased alcohol consumption. This includes beer, wine and liquor. "It's clear that heavy or binge drinking is harmful, contributing to heart issues and other health issues," says Bo Qin, assistant professor, Department of Medicine at Rutgers Cancer Institute.
Alcohol and health: all, none, or somewhere in-between?
No level of alcohol consumption is safe when it comes to human health, according to a WHO statement released in January, 2023. The data behind this dire warning come from a 2021 study that estimated the number of incident cancers attributable to alcohol consumption in the EU in 2017—light to moderate drinking (1–2 drinks per day) was responsible for 23 300 new cases of cancer. New Canadian guidelines take a strong stance too, suggesting that any more than two drinks per week puts your health at risk. Does this mean the days of safely enjoying a tipple are officially behind us?
Can Alcohol Help You Live Longer? Here’s What the Research Really Says
But can alcohol actually help you live longer? Researchers have gone back and forth on that question for years. Here’s what the research really says about alcohol and health.
Drinking alcohol increases the risk for at least 7 types of cancer, new report shows
Alcohol use is a leading preventable cause of cancer, according to an advisory from the Surgeon General. Studies show a link to at least 7 types of cancer. The more people drink, the higher the risk.
Drinking definitely hurts us. Science may yet prove it helps us, too
Americans who drink alcohol have endured years of ambiguous studies, some telling them moderate drinking might help them, others saying it will definitely hurt them.
Even 1 drink a day elevates your cancer risk – an expert on how alcohol affects the body breaks down a new government report
The association between alcohol and cancer isn’t new news – scientists have been trying to determine the link for decades – yet most people aren’t aware of the risks and may only associate drinking with liver disease like cirrhosis. In a 2019 survey from the American Institute for Cancer Research, less than half of Americans identified alcohol as a risk factor for cancer. Alcohol is the third-most preventable cause of cancer in the U.S, putting it just behind tobacco and obesity.
How Alcohol Lost Its Cool
But it’s very clear that heavy drinking is just not as cool as it used to be – it’s gone out of style. “As a nostalgic generation, Gen Z explored the indie sleaze era through fashion aesthetics, but did away with the ‘sleaze’ of heavy drinking that defined that very era,” says Lee.
How Much Alcohol Can You Drink a Week and Still Be Healthy?
Scientists are homing in on how much—or how little—you can consume without raising your risk for health problems.
How Much Alcohol Can You Drink Before It Starts to Mess with Your Fitness?
Turns out, regular exercisers drink more than couch potatoes, so we asked what wine, whiskey, and other alcoholic drinks do to your workout goals.
Is Moderate Drinking Okay?
Here’s a simple question: Is moderate drinking okay? Like millions of Americans, I look forward to a glass of wine—sure, occasionally two—while cooking or eating dinner. I strongly believe that an ice-cold pilsner on a hot summer day is, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, suggestive evidence that a divine spirit exists and gets a kick out of seeing us buzzed. But, like most people, I understand that booze isn’t medicine.
Is one drink a day OK? Here's what to consider
On the heels of the surgeon general's warning about the cancer risks of alcohol, there's a growing consensus that less is better. But this doesn't mean that people who choose to drink should give it up entirely. Though there's no precise answer on how much alcohol can be consumed without increasing health risks, many experts say an acceptable amount ranges from about one drink per week to no more than seven drinks per week. This is significantly less than what is currently recommended.
Is “casual drinking” really that casual?
Many adults might think of themselves as casual drinkers. It’s common knowledge that “too much” booze is bad for health, but there are multiple interpretations of what’s considered “safe” or “moderate” drinking. The CDC limits moderate alcohol consumption to one drink a day for women, and two a day for men. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) bases drinking limits upon patterns that increase a person’s risk of an alcohol-use disorder.
It’s time to rethink how much booze may be too much
Researchers are changing how they study the risks of alcohol — and it’s making drinking look worse.
Moderate Drinking Has No Health Benefits, Analysis of Decades of Research Finds
The review found that the methodology of many previous studies was flawed and that risk of myriad health problems increased significantly after less than two drinks a day for women and after three for men.
My Vintner Friend (Who’s Also a Doctor!) Says It’s OK to Keep Drinking
I first suspected alcohol was unhealthy the first time I drank it, and it blurred my vision, caused me to vomit bile and gave me a headache. This was unusual among beverages I enjoyed. I never consumed so much No-Pulp Tropicana that I wound up face-down in my bedroom unaware of what I said last night. So I was not shocked last week when the Surgeon General suggested that Congress pass a law slapping cancer-warning labels on booze, or when the World Health Organization declared that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe.”
No Amount Of Alcohol Is Good For Your Health, Global Study Says
Countless scientific studies have espoused the idea that a glass of red wine a day can be good for the heart, but a new, sweeping global study published in The Lancet on Friday rejects the notion that any drinking can be healthy. No amount of alcohol is safe, according to The Global Burden of Diseases study, which analyzed levels of alcohol use and its health effects in 195 countries from 1990 to 2016.
No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health
The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented. The World Health Organization has now published a statement in The Lancet Public Health: when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.
Scientists Just Debunked Decades of Research About Alcohol Consumption
New research has found that moderate drinking isn’t, in fact, better for your health than abstaining from alcohol altogether.
The Basics: Defining How Much Alcohol is Too Much
While there is no guaranteed safe amount of alcohol for anyone, general guidelines can help clinicians advise their patients and minimize the risks. Here, we will provide basic information about drink sizes, drinking patterns, and alcohol metabolism to help answer the question “how much is too much?” In short, the answer from current research is, the less alcohol, the better.
What the surgeon general’s warnings about alcohol mean for individual drinkers and public health
As the surgeon general’s report notes, there is extensive evidence from biological studies that ethanol, the type of pure alcohol found in all alcohol-containing beverages, causes cancer in at least four distinct ways. The link between alcohol and breast cancer, particularly among women, has been known for a long time, so that link is certainly not news to the research community.
Yet Another Study Suggests Drinking Isn’t Good for Your Health
“The idea that alcohol is good for your health is so ingrained in many cultures,” says Tim Stockwell, who co-authored the new meta-analysis and is a professor of psychology at Canada’s University of Victoria and former director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. While there’s still some back and forth in the research world, Stockwell says that concept is built on decades of flawed science.
Is drinking alcohol ever good for you? Here’s what the science says
If you're confused, you're not alone.
8 things we’ve learned about how alcohol harms the body
The U.S. Surgeon General has called for adding cancer warnings to alcohol labels—as scientific evidence mounts that even moderate drinking may be more harmful than we thought.
Rethinking Drinking
Many people enjoy a drink now and then when socializing with friends and family. Knowing your personal drinking pattern can help you understand if alcohol will affect your health. The decision to change your drinking is up to you. Mixed feelings are normal. It can help to weigh your pros and cons using our interactive worksheet. Don't wait to "hit bottom," as changing sooner rather than later is always better. Once you're ready to cut down or quit, you'll find many helpful suggestions

Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.