ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Awareness that drinking alcohol can increase your risk of cancer is on the rise in the United States: about six in 10 American adults now know alcohol consumption raises their risk of developing cancer down the road, per a new national survey. This is a significant improvement over prior public awareness, perhaps reflecting years of media attention on alcohol and cancer.
The survey, by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, showed that 58 per cent of people recognised a link between drinking alcohol and an increased chance of developing cancer up five percentage points from February 2026. Awareness was now nearly level with February 2025.
Researchers asked 1,842 adults in the United States between September 22 and October 5, 2026. This research was conducted on a nationally representative probability sample and included interviews conducted both online and by telephone.
Even with the progress, the survey still found significant public knowledge gaps. 42% of respondents were unaware that drinking alcohol more often increases the risk of developing cancer. Among these, 24% said they were unsure if there was a link, and 17% incorrectly believed alcohol did not affect the risk.
The results suggest but that the growing awareness of excess weight has not spread evenly among everyone. As the authors, public awareness should vary over time as health messages are foregrounded or forgotten in the media or guidance.
The new findings also come after a time of fluctuation in awareness. Only 40% of respondents in September 2024, said they knew about the link, while awareness increased to 56% in February 2025 after the US Surgeon General issued an alert about alcohol’s cancer link. Awareness then dipped again before rising again for the latest survey.
Cancer. Scientific studies show alcohol to be a factor in the development of certain types of cancer. These include: breast, mouth, and throat larynx oesophageal, liver, and colorectal.
As the body metabolizes alcohol, it produces a chemical called acetaldehyde that can cause DNA damage and impair DNA repair. Alcohol can affect hormone levels, increase the production of reactive molecules that damage cells and make it easier for cancer-causing substances to reach tissues.
The risk tends to rise as alcohol use increases. But the pattern of the relationship is not limited to people who drink alcohol excessively. In fact, some level of alcohol use can increase the risk of a few alcohol-related cancers.
Alcohol was responsible for roughly 5% of all cancer cases in the U.S. in 2019, which is the most recent year referenced in the American Association for Cancer Research’s 2026 cancer progress report.
The most recent results of the survey come just as talks on how governments inform the public about the health effects of alcohol continue. In January 2025, the US Surgeon General proposed revised label warnings on alcohol drinks to provide information on the link between alcohol and cancer.
But the US Dietary Guidelines issued in January 2026 did not, in fact, mention any link to cancer risk when they recommended moderation for drinks.
