On January 3, 2025, the Surgeon General’s report delivered a sobering reality: alcohol is linked to an estimated 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths annually in the U.S. Alcohol use is now the third leading preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco and obesity. There are 13,500 alcohol-related traffic fatalities each year (yes, alcohol kills more people with cancer than cars). Globally, the World Health Organization estimates 2.6 million alcohol-related deaths each year, including 700,000 from alcohol-related violence. Alcohol increases the chances of unprotected sex, which is why alcohol is also connected to higher rates of STDs. This troubling data underscores that no amount can be considered truly safe.

In August, the annual Gallup poll of nationally representative samples of U.S. adults was conducted to assess the behavior of Americans, and it seems the message was heard. Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults report drinking alcohol, a low not seen since polling began in 1939. This number has dropped steadily over the past two decades, and the decline has accelerated in recent years. Younger adults are now less likely to drink than older adults, reversing a long-standing generational pattern. Today, many younger adults are opting out entirely, citing mental health, sleep, fitness, and long-term well-being as reasons.

Fifty-three percent of Americans now say that even moderate drinking is bad for one's health, which is another historic high. This represents a sharp departure from decades of messaging suggesting that alcohol, especially wine, might be good for your health.

It is........

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