Even Low Amounts of Alcohol Linked to Potentially Deadly Consequences
Even low levels of alcohol use are linked to potentially deadly consequences, according to a new study.
Research from the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and other scientists found links between moderate drinking and death , disability and chronic diseases .
'Even low levels'
The researchers said their findings "support tightening alcohol use guidance in the United States, for both males and females, to no more than one drink per day," and that "higher consumption was associated with progressively increased risks of breast cancer , cardiovascular disease and injury ."
However, alcohol use guidance is different than a recommendation. The researchers added that no amount of alcohol is protective.
"Even low levels of alcohol use come with health risks ," lead study author Kevin Shield, professor at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist for the WHO, said in a press release .
"And that risk continues to increase the more someone drinks."
Stock image: Close-up of pouring whiskey or rum on a bar.
The researchers drew their data from more than 7,200 scientific articles on alcohol-related disease and injuries .
After applying the risks of those injuries to national data sets, they modeled estimates on how different levels of drinking might result in the various health outcomes.
According to study co-author Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology in Columbia University's public health program, the research was, "the most comprehensive U.S. estimates to date of lifetime risks of alcohol-attributable mortality and morbidity."
The Dangers of Drinking
The findings showed that drinking increased mortality risk through a number of different avenues.
First, alcohol influences a person's actions and can lead to risky behaviors like drunk driving , which increases the risk of death and disability sharply.
However, long-term alcohol use also influences the risk of chronic alcohol-related conditions like cancer , including esophageal, oral and breast cancer.
Additionally, alcohol raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and liver disease, even in moderate amounts.
'A clearer threshold'
Experts have increasingly drawn attention to the risks of alcohol in recent years .
Former U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy wrote in 2025 that alcohol is, "a leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, contributing to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year."
Murthy also wrote that more than half of Americans don't know the risks of drinking .
The researchers said their study is intended to help the public make informed decisions.
"Having a clearer threshold helps people better understand what level of drinking is associated with increased risk and make more informed decisions when drinking," they wrote in the release.
Newsweek has reached out to the study authors for comment via email.
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