People who are struggling with a substance use disorder centered on alcohol (sometimes called alcohol use disorder or AUD) are already facing all kinds of problems. After all, ongoing and excessive consumption of alcohol can have a ruinous impact on your mental and physical health, your job and financial situation, your relationships, and so much more. When you are under the influence of alcohol, you might take unwise risks or cause serious harm to yourself or others—up to and including death.
Given all of those potential negative outcomes, it only makes sense to get treatment for your disorder as soon as possible, right? But just in case you are not fully convinced, let us add another reason for giving up alcohol to the list:
According to the surgeon general of the United States, alcohol causes cancer.
The Surgeon General’s Warning
Most of us are familiar with warnings provided by the surgeon general. Clear warnings about the health impact of tobacco products can be found on all ads for those products and on the packages they come in. You have likely seen some or all of these warnings:
Surgeon General’s Warning: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy.
Surgeon General’s Warning: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.
Surgeon General’s Warning: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, and Low Birth Weight.
Surgeon General’s Warning: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risk to Your Health.
Now, the current surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has sounded the alarm about alcohol and its connection to cancer.
In a recent article in The New York Times, Roni Caryn Rabin got straight to the point in the opening line of her piece: “Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, and alcoholic beverages should carry a warning label as packs of cigarettes do, the U.S. surgeon general said on Friday.”
We want to take a moment to really focus on the idea that alcohol is “a leading preventable cause of cancer.” The surgeon general is saying that people are getting cancer diagnoses that could have been avoided if those individuals had not drunk alcohol. And the number of people impacted each year is depressingly large. As Rabin reported, “Alcohol directly contributes to 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 related deaths each year.”
Again: 100,000 cancer cases each year. 20,000 related deaths each year. That’s half a million cancer cases connected to alcohol every five years—and 100,000 deaths in that same period.
Now, you may be thinking that a person would probably have to consume a large amount of alcohol over a long period in order for a cancer risk to develop. That, of course, would describe plenty of people who have a substance use disorder. But it turns out that the cancer risk—and a risk of heart disease—exists even for moderate drinkers. As the article in The New York Times explains:
“While most cancer deaths occur at drinking levels that exceed the current recommended dietary guidelines, the risk for cancers of the breast, the mouth, and the throat may rise with consumption of as little as one drink a day, or even less, Dr. Murthy said…Overall, one of every six breast cancer cases is attributable to alcohol consumption, Dr. Murthy said. More recent studies have also linked moderate alcohol consumption to certain forms of heart disease, including atrial fibrillation, a heart arrhythmia.”
Three Big Takeaways
So, what should you do with this information about alcohol and cancer? We think there are three primary takeaways that cover nearly everyone—no matter what their current relationship to alcohol may be. Those takeaways:
- If you do not drink, do not start.
- If you do drink, consider giving it up.
- If you have a substance use disorder, think of this as more motivation to get the help you need.
That takes us back to where we started: There are a lot of good reasons to get help for a substance use disorder—whether that disorder involves alcohol or another substance. The knowledge that alcohol is linked to cancer is yet another reason that it is essential that you get effective treatment if you have developed a problem.
We Are Ready and Able to Help
At Bel Aire Recovery Center, which is located near Wichita, Kansas, we provide effective and personalized care for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, or a disorder that stems from traumatic experiences. We offer residential, outpatient, and virtual treatment options so that you can choose an approach that works best for you and your situation.
Our residential program includes medically supervised detoxification, which provides a safe environment that is free of temptations as you get alcohol or other substances out of your system. Detox, if followed by a rehabilitation program that includes individual and group therapy, is designed to prepare you for your return to your everyday life. We also provide a continuum of care—meaning we continue to provide resources and support after your time in treatment comes to an end.
A substance use disorder has no upside. Fortunately, we can see you safely to the other side—a life free of drugs or alcohol.
