How Americans view alcohol’s benefits and risks

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Alcohol and personal health have been in the news lately amid a U.S. surgeon general advisory that even moderate drinking increases cancer risk.

About seven-in-ten Americans ages 21 and older say they drink alcohol at least a few times a year, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Our survey explores how this group thinks about their own alcohol use and whether drinkers who are aware of the federal warning about cancer risks plan to change their own behavior.

Negative and positive impacts from alcohol

A majority of drinkers (57%) think their own alcohol use does not increase their risk of serious physical health problems. Still, 43% say their drinking does increase their risk of health problems either a lot or a little.
In addition, 15% say their alcohol use causes problems in their social or personal life; 85% say it does not.

On the positive side, 53% say drinking alcohol increases their enjoyment of food and meals either a lot or a little. And 44% say alcohol helps them maintain social connections with friends.

Those who drink more regularly report positive experiences at higher rates. For instance, 69% of routine drinkers – those who say they consume alcohol a few times a week or more – and 63% of those who drink a few times a month say alcohol increases their enjoyment of food or meals, compared with just 36% of those who drink only a few times a year.

A majority of routine drinkers (59%) say their alcohol use increases their risk of serious physical health problems at least a little. Those who drink a few times a month (45%) or a few times a year (31%) are less likely to say their drinking increases this risk.

Still, many drinkers do not think their drinking raises their risk of serious health problems. That includes 68% of those who drink a few times a year, 55% of those who drink a few times a month and 41% of those who drink at least a few times a week.

Will news of link between alcohol and cancer change drinkers’ behavior

Overall, 52% of Americans ages 21 and older say they’ve heard about studies showing that drinking alcohol can increase a person’s risk of cancer. Routine drinkers and those who drink monthly are somewhat more likely than those who drink only a few times a year or never to have heard of these findings.