Per Aimee Cunningham, in ScienceNews “Is alcohol linked to cancer? Here’s what the science says”.

“The link between drinking alcohol and developing cancer, described in a new report by the U.S. Surgeon General, may come as a surprise to many Americans.

Although evidence for this link has been growing for some time, fewer than half of Americans are aware of the association, according to the 2019 Cancer Risk Awareness Survey. That’s in contrast to tobacco, which 89 percent of the survey respondents identified as a cancer risk.

The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, released January 3, puts the link between drinking alcohol and developing seven different types of cancer — including esophagus, breast, liver and colorectal — in the spotlight to help increase awareness. The report calls for adding information about cancer risk to the Surgeon General’s health warning labels on alcohol. And it recommends public health professionals and health care providers discuss the risk, which generally increases the more one drinks, with patients and the public. That way, people can take the risk into account in choosing whether or how much to drink."

Dry January is a good time to evaluate your relationship with alcohol. Abstaining from alcohol for even a short period of time has many health benefits.

While many may have taken on the Dry January challenge, for those that have not, it is never to late to look at atleast cutting down and/or getting creative with mocktails and carrying over this theme throughout the year.