10 MAY BE EVEN RISKIER –
July 15, 2026 – Alcohol is often treated as a routine part of social life, but a new analysis suggests that even levels many Americans consider moderate carry measurable health risks. The study links drinking with a higher chance of death, disability, and chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
The findings appeared in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, which is published at Rutgers University. The research, called the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, was initially commissioned by the U.S. federal government to help inform the next U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
The study found that people who averaged 14 drinks per week faced an alcohol related mortality risk of 1 in 25. By comparison, drinking up to 7 drinks per week was linked to only minimal increases in risk for most conditions.
“Even low levels of alcohol use come with health risks,” says lead study author Kevin Shield, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist who leads the World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborating Centre in Addiction and Mental Health. “And that risk continues to increase the more someone drinks.”
