A new study reveals that nearly 60% of U.S. adults are unaware of the cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption, highlighting the need for increased public health awareness and revised guidelines.
While alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, public knowledge about this risk is surprisingly low in the United States. According to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, only 40% of American adults recognize alcohol as a risk factor for cancer.
The study, published in the JAMA Oncology journal, indicates that 39% of U.S. adults are unaware of the link between alcohol and cancer, while an additional 20% are uncertain whether they have encountered information about this connection. Perhaps even more concerning, just over 30% of those surveyed believe that cancer prevention is not possible.
“Despite the well-established association between alcohol and cancer, alcohol consumption has continued to rise in the U.S.,” corresponding author Sanjay Shete, the deputy division head of Cancer Prevention and Population Science, said in a news release. “Our findings suggest that many individuals are unaware of the significant benefit in reducing or eliminating alcohol intake. Simply put, the more a person drinks, the greater their risk of developing cancer.”
The study’s findings are based on responses from 5,937 adults participating in the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey.
The question posed was simple yet telling: “Have you ever heard or read that alcohol increases the risk of cancer?” Possible answers included “yes,” “no” or “don’t know.”
The researchers discovered that awareness of this significant risk was especially low among certain demographics.
Only 30% of Black respondents, 35.2% of those with some college education or less, and 31.5% of those who did not believe cancer prevention was possible were aware of the connection between alcohol and cancer.
Conversely, individuals who had experienced cancer themselves were more likely to know about the risks.
Alcohol consumption has been linked to at least seven types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, liver, mouth, voice box, throat and esophageal cancers.
Annually, it is estimated that alcohol-related cancers account for 75,000 new cases and claim more than 20,000 lives in the United States. However, nearly 70% of American adults report drinking alcoholic beverages.
In January 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting the connection between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk and recommended new health warning labels on alcoholic beverages.
“Given we now know there is an increased risk of cancer, even at low levels of alcohol consumption, it is imperative to improve public awareness,” Shete added. “We hope these findings encourage clinicians to speak with their patients directly and that the immediate revision of drinking guidelines becomes a national priority.”
The research, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Betty B. Marcus Chair in Cancer Prevention, underscores the urgent need for enhanced public education on the risks of alcohol consumption, advocating for the implementation of new Surgeon General recommendations as a strategy to reduce future cancer rates.