Key Takeaways

More than half of Americans don’t know alcohol increases cancer risk

Only 37% knew that drinking contributes to a person’s odds of cancer

Current drinkers were more likely to believe alcohol had no effect on cancer risk

FRIDAY, Oct. 31, 2025 (HealthDay News) — More than half of American adults don’t know that alcohol increases a person’s risk of cancer, a new study says.

About 53% of adults surveyed did not know that drinking increases the odds of developing cancer, researchers reported Oct. 30 in JAMA Oncology .

In truth, alcohol is considered a carcinogen as potent as tobacco, asbestos and radiation by the World Health Organization, researchers said in background notes.

Drinkers, in particular, were 76% more likely to believe that alcohol has no effect on cancer

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