Alcohol Use and Your Health

Why it's important

• Your liver can only process small amounts of alcohol.
  • The rest of the alcohol can harm your liver and other organs as it moves through the body.
• Using alcohol excessively on occasion or over time can have immediate and long-term health risks.
• By drinking less alcohol, you can improve your health and well-being.

Understanding alcohol use

Excessive alcohol use

Excessive alcohol use is a term used to describe four ways that people drink alcohol that can negatively impact health. Excessive drinking can also be deadly.

Excessive alcohol use includes:

• Binge drinking—Four or more drinks for women, or five or more drinks for men during an occasion.
• Heavy drinking—Eight or more drinks for women, or 15 or more drinks for men during a week.
• Underage drinking—any alcohol use by people younger than 21.
• Drinking while pregnant—any alcohol use during pregnancy.

Moderate alcohol use

Moderate drinking is having one drink or less in a day for women, or two drinks or less in a day for men.

Effects of short-term alcohol use

Drinking excessively on an occasion can lead to these harmful health effects:

• Injuries—motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, and burns.
• Violence—homicide, suicide, sexual violence, and intimate partner violence.
• Alcohol poisoning—high blood alcohol levels that affect body functions like breathing and heart rate.
• Overdose—from alcohol use with other drugs, like opioids.
• Sexually transmitted infections or unplanned pregnancy—alcohol use can lead to sex without protection, which can cause these conditions.
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)—from any alcohol use during pregnancy.

Effects of long-term alcohol use

Over time, drinking alcohol can have these effects:

Cancer

• Drinking any alcoholic beverages, including red and white wine, beer, and liquor, is linked with cancer.
  • The risk of some cancers increases with any amount of alcohol use.2 This includes breast cancer (in women).2A
• More than 20,000 people die from alcohol-related cancers each year in the United States.3

Other chronic diseases

Excessive alcohol use can lead to:

• High blood pressure.
• Heart disease.
• Liver disease.
• Stroke.
• Alcohol use disorder—this affects both physical and mental health.B
• Digestive problems.
• Weaker immune system—increasing your chances of getting sick.

Social and wellness issues

• Mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety.
• Learning problems, and issues at school or work.
• Memory problems, including dementia.
• Relationship problems with family and friends.

Prevention

You can take steps to lower your risk of alcohol-related harms.

The less alcohol you drink, the lower your risk for these health effects, including several types of cancer.