"Despite clear evidence demonstrating the effect of alcohol consumption on cancer risk, there is a large gap in public understanding of the risk. In a 2019 survey, 45% of Americans recognized alcohol use as a risk factor for cancer compared to 91% of Americans who recognized the risk of radiation exposure, 89% for tobacco use, 81% for asbestos exposure, and 53% for obesity (Figure 2).b,4 Additionally, public awareness of alcohol consumption as a cancer risk factor has not substantially improved over nearly two decades,4 even as evidence documenting the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk has increased."
Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). Alcohol and Cancer: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services (US); 2025.
