New Study Links Even “Moderate” Drinking to Higher Risk of Cancer, Heart Disease and Early Death

Media Advisory
Tuesday, June 9, 2026

What:

Drinking even at levels long considered “moderate” raises the risk of premature death and more than 200 diseases, including cancer, heart disease and liver disease, according to new research published today in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The study found that health risks climb with just one drink per day. Additionally, researchers found no level at which alcohol provides a net health benefit, overturning long-standing assumptions that moderate drinking protects health.

“Nearly half of Americans ages 12 and older had a drink in the past month, yet most have no clear sense of the impact on their health,” said Priscilla Martinez-Matyszczyk, MPhil, Ph.D., a study co-author and Deputy Scientific Director at the Alcohol Research Group at the Public Health Institute. “These findings put real numbers behind everyday drinking decisions, starting at one drink a day.”

The Alcohol Intake and Health Study provides the most comprehensive U.S. estimates of lifetime risks of alcohol-related harm to date. Medical experts reviewed more than 7,200 peer-reviewed studies to quantify the risk of alcohol-related diseases and injuries. Researchers then applied those risks to large U.S. national health data sets to determine the level of risk for each condition and modeled how different drinking patterns shape long-term health outcomes for Americans.

Key findings:

• No net protective effect of drinking was observed, even at low levels.
• For both men and women, drinking roughly seven drinks per week is linked to one alcohol-attributable death per 1,000 people over a lifetime, with risk climbing sharply above that threshold.
• The upper limit of alcohol consumption for men in the 2020–2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines of two drinks per day is associated with a substantially elevated mortality risk of 1 in 25, or 4%.
• Drinking patterns matter as much as totals: high per-occasion consumption magnifies the risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and injuries, independent of weekly volume.
• Findings support alcohol guidance to Americans of no more than 1 drink per day to limit risks to health, and for the 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines to reflect both cumulative and per-occasion risk.

Who:

Priscilla Martinez-Matyszczyk, MPhil, Ph.D., Study Co-Author and Deputy Scientific Director at the Alcohol Research Group, a program of the Public Health Institute, is available to speak to reporters upon request.

Study:

George, S, Naimi, TS, Keyes, K, Martinez-Matyszczyk, P, et al. Alcohol Intake and Health Study: No Protective Effect at Low Levels, With Mortality Increasing to 1 in 25 at 14 Drinks Per Week. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2026 June. doi:10.15288/jsad.25-00435.

The Public Health Institute is a national independent nonprofit that advances the health and wellbeing of all people and communities, particularly those facing the greatest barriers. Rooted in 60 years of public health experience, PHI moves ideas into action through practice, policy, research and community engagement, while serving as the operational backbone for more than 40 programs delivering evidence-based solutions to complex health challenges.

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