Three generations of women preparing healthy food together in their kitchen.

Drink less,
live more.

 

Literally, that’s the recipe. Decades of research show that excessive drinking harms our bodies and brains. On the flip side, when we drink less, we avoid a lot of pain. It's not just fewer headaches and hangovers. Drinking less means a lower risk of serious long-term health problems. That includes cancer, heart disease and depression.3

Excessive drinking can affect:

An illustrated male and female with circles surrounding them containing icons of: the prostate, colon, heart, head and neck, a moon and stars, brain, a bra, and liver.
Illustration of prostate

Prostate: Drinking alcohol may raise your risk of prostate cancer.9

Illustration of a moon and stars

Sleep: Alcohol can disrupt the way we sleep and how well we sleep.11

Illustration of colon

Colon: Drinking alcohol raises your risk of developing colorectal cancer.9

Illustration of brain

Brain: Alcohol can trigger mood and behavioral changes. It can also make them worse. These changes and conditions include depression, anxiety, memory loss and alcohol dependency.12

Illustration of heart

Heart: Binge drinking puts you at higher risk for certain conditions. These include high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease.10

Illustration of bra

Breasts: Drinking alcohol increases your risk for breast cancer.9

Illustration of a person's head and neck in profile

Head and neck: Regular heavy drinking raises your risk for developing certain cancers. These include cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus.9

Illustration of liver

Liver: Excessive drinking contributes to liver cancer. It also contributes to three types of liver disease. These are fatty liver disease, alcohol-related hepatitis and cirrhosis.13

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Does drinking any amount of alcohol increase your health risks?

Many factors can affect your health risks. These include age, medication you’re taking, pregnancy or gender. For some people, drinking any alcohol is too much. In general, any decrease in the amount of alcohol you drink will lower your risk of cancer and other harms.18

If you are concerned, talk with your health care provider. They can help you understand more about your personal risk. Visit our resources page to find support to drink less.

How are alcohol and cancer linked?

Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen. That means it is known to cause cancer. After you drink alcohol, your body breaks it down into acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is a chemical that damages your DNA. It also prevents your body from repairing that damage. With the DNA damaged, a cell can begin growing out of control and create a cancer tumor.

Lower levels of drinking can also be harmful, even when you don’t feel drunk.9

Excessive drinking affects all of us

You don’t have to drink to feel the effects of excessive drinking. Children, families, and communities all pay the costs. Excessive drinking costs Oregon $4.8 billion per year. That's $1,100 for every person in the state.14 The costs include lost earnings for workers and lost revenue for businesses. They also include health care expenses, criminal justice costs, and car crashes.
Read: Economic Analysis of Excessive Alcohol Consumption In Oregon
Read: Economic Analysis of Excessive Alcohol Consumption In Oregon