January 30, 2025

Every drink increases your risk of cancer

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We’ve known about the connection between alcohol and cancer for decades.

But many Australians still don’t fully understand the risk.

This article explains the relationship between alcohol and cancer, why it’s important to be mindful of your drinking habits and how to reduce your risk.

Alcohol is a carcinogen

Alcoholic drinks are classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen. This means they cause cancer in humans.1

Drinking is directly linked to a higher risk of at least seven types of cancers. They include mouth, throat (pharynx and larynx), oesophageal, bowel, breast and liver cancer.2,3

In 2020, approximately 5,800 new cancers in Australia were due to alcohol use.2

In 2021, alcohol-related cancers claimed the lives of 1,680 Australians.4

How does alcohol cause cancer?

Alcohol increases the risk of cancer in different ways:

  • Acetaldehyde production: When your body breaks down alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde. This toxic chemical can damage your cells and DNA, causing mutations that can lead to cancer.5,6
  • Oxidative stress: Alcohol increases inflammation and can damage cells, proteins, and DNA.6
  • Hormonal changes: Drinking can raise estrogen levels. This increases the risk of hormonal-based cancers like breast cancer.6,7
  • Increased carcinogen absorption: Alcohol allows carcinogens to be absorbed easily into the body. This increases your risk of mouth, throat and oesophageal cancer.6

Misleading information on alcohol and cancer risk

There is clear evidence linking alcohol to cancer. But misleading messages continue to cloud public understanding.

Years of marketing by the alcohol industry has led many Australians to believe that drinking is harmless or has health benefits.8

Three out of four adult Australians are misled by alcohol labels that claim they are ‘low sugar’ or ‘low calorie’ products. These can cause people to believe the drinks are healthy for them.9

If people drink less, the industry makes less money. So, downplaying the risks of alcohol protects their profits. You can read more on the tactics used by the alcohol industry to deceive the public in our article Public health vs ‘Big Alcohol’ profits.

Studies on alcohol’s supposed health benefits, like antioxidants in red wine, often ignore the harmful effects of alcohol.10 Some studies even suggest that light or moderate drinking might be good for our health, like lowering the risk of heart disease.11

But research has shown the risks of drinking alcohol far outweigh any potential benefits.11-13

No amount of alcohol is good for you

There is no ‘safe’ drinking level when it comes to cancer risk.14,15 Even small amounts of alcohol raise your risk of certain cancers, like breast, mouth and throat cancer.16

It doesn't matter whether you drink beer, wine, or spirits – what’s important is how often and how much you drink.

The more alcohol you drink, the higher your cancer risk.3,12,14

Having two drinks a day might not seem like a lot. But an Australian study found drinking this amount increases a woman's cancer risk by 5% and a man's by 3%.3

What’s more concerning is that having an extra seven drinks a week can increase your risk of dying from alcohol-related cancers by 12%.4

What can I do to reduce my risk of cancer from alcohol?

Cutting down or not drinking at all can reduce your risk of cancer.3,13

If you choose to drink, you can reduce your cancer risk by:

Take a look at our article on the Benefits of cutting down on alcohol the benefits of cutting down alcohol, and find out more about the ‘sober curious’ movement in our article What is ‘sober curious’?.

Help and further information

Free and confidential, 24/7 information, support and referrals. You’ll be automatically directed to the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) in the state/territory you’re calling from.


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