Alcohol: The Socially Normal One Worth Taking Seriously

The health picture for alcohol has shifted significantly in recent years. For a long time, research suggested moderate alcohol consumption might have cardiovascular benefits. More recent and methodologically stronger research using Mendelian randomization has found no cardiovascular benefit from moderate drinking. The apparent benefit in older studies was largely an artifact of comparison groups that included former heavy drinkers with existing health problems.

In 2023, the World Health Organization issued updated guidance stating that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to cancer risk. Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, the same category as tobacco and asbestos. It increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer: breast, colon, rectal, liver, esophageal, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers.

For adolescents specifically, the concerns extend beyond long-term cancer risk. The adolescent brain is still developing, and early and regular alcohol exposure affects the development of the prefrontal cortex. People who start drinking before age 15 are four to five times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder than those who start at age 21.