Attention Drinkers: Is the Cancer Risk From Alcohol Overblown?

You may have heard new warnings that any amount of alcohol now increases your cancer risk. Looking at the statistics, it may not be nearly as dangerous as you think.

As someone who enjoys the occasional cold beer, I've been concerned by recent reports about the dangers of alcohol. The Surgeon General is calling for new warning labels to be put on beer, wine and spirits similar to ones found on cigarettes that emphasize the risk of cancer. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control is telling Americans that there is "no safe amount of alcohol" to drink.

Statistics Paint a Very Different Picture

The CDC is now comparing drinking any amount of alcohol with smoking and obesity, naming it one of the three biggest preventable risks of being diagnosed with cancer. This is very scary, but when you look at the statistics it's not quite as dire as the news may have you think.

The government claims that 100,000 people are diagnosed with alcohol-related cancer every year. While that seems like a big number, it does need to be put into context.

There are 350 million people living in the United States. According to the latest figures, 62 percent of Americans drink alcohol. That works out to 100,000 people out of 208 million drinkers who are diagnosed with alcohol-related cancer, or 5 out of every 10,000.

By contrast, there are 134 million people in the United States who are obese. The CDC says that annually there are 684,000 people diagnosed with obesity-related cancer. That's 50 out of every 10,000.

While obesity is ten times more likely to give you cancer than drinking alcohol, I haven't seen the CDC release a statement saying that there is "no safe amount of donuts" to eat.

What Risks Are You Willing to Live With?

I agree with the CDC that everyone should be made aware of the risks that come with drinking alcohol so that they can make informed decisions. However, that only works if the information is fairly compared to other risks that people make every day.

Yes, 5 out of every 10,000 drinkers may be diagnosed with some sort of cancer this year but were you also aware that 200 out of every 10,000 drivers will be involved in a car accident this year? Interestingly enough, when it comes to fatalities the odds are pretty much the same of dying from alcohol or from driving. According to data from the CDC, Americans who take their car to the movies on a Friday night have the exact same 1 in 10,000 risk of dying on the drive there as drinkers who sit home and watch TV while enjoying a beer have a chance of dying from an alcohol-related cancer.

I guess we can all just stay home and drink water, but then what's the point of living?

The Bottom Line When it Comes to Risks From Alcohol

Yes, alcohol certainly increases your risk of getting cancer, but not nearly as much as fast food or smoking. If you're overweight, a smoker and a drinker, statistics show that alcohol is probably the least of your worries.

With that said, I think we all know that drinking can have some serious consequences. Heavy drinking leads to not just health issues but can negatively impact relationships, employment and mental health. Of course, alcohol can also lead to drunk driving deaths.

Just like eating junk food and deciding to take your family on a long road trip, alcohol users need to weigh the risks and decide for themselves whether they're comfortable taking that chance. Instead of scare tactics, the CDC needs to be less dramatic and share fair comparative data so that we can all make the right choices based on facts.