The Truth About Alcohol

April 2025

In recognition of National Alcohol Awareness Month and Screening Day, experts encourage individuals to assess their drinking habits and seek help if needed.

A majority of New Yorkers are considering drinking less alcohol or encouraging others to do so as a result of the surgeon general’s new warning about a strong association between drinking alcohol and increased cancer risk, according to the latest Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” poll.

Among the poll respondents from New York City and Long Island, 57 percent reported having between one and seven drinks per week, while 22 percent said they consumed between 8 and 14 drinks per week. But 51 percent said they would consider drinking less alcohol or encourage others to reduce consumption based on the new advice.

In January, then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, urged that new warning labels be placed on alcohol packaging due to the increased risk of cancer linked to alcohol consumption. It is up to Congress to decide whether to adopt the recommendation.

The poll results indicate public health experts have a challenge ahead to convince patients about the link between alcohol and cancer risk. While 58 percent of respondents did agree that alcohol can lead to overeating and smoking, less than half – 46 percent – of the poll respondents said they believe that alcohol use increases the risks of cancer. Meanwhile 46 percent of poll respondents said they were aware of the new warning from the surgeon general.

The release of the poll results coincides with Alcohol Awareness Month (held annually in April) as well as National Alcohol Screening Day, which is officially tomorrow. This day is designed to provide the public with information about the harmful effects of alcohol and encourages individuals to have an alcohol screening to assess their drinking habits. To get an alcohol screening at a testing center in your area, call the Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence, (516) 747-2606, or visit its website at www.licadd.org.

Sponsored by Four Leaf (formerly Bethpage Federal Credit Union), the Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” Poll aims to gather data about public attitudes on key public health topics and spur education and discussion. The poll was conducted from Sunday, January 26, through Thursday, January 30, via both landlines and cell phones among 600 Long Island and New York City adults ages 21-65 and above. Poll findings are subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percent.

The current health warning label on alcoholic beverages, enacted by Congress in 1988, states: “GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery and may cause health problems.” ... read more

• "Truth In Medicine" Poll Press Release
• "Truth In Medicine" Poll Results (PDF)
  

Truth in Medicine Poll: Truth in Medicine Poll: Link Between Alcohol and Cancer