Soviet anti-alcohol poster (1929)
The risk starts at one drink a day. At two drinks a day, 1 in 25 will die of an alcohol-related cause
STUDY: George S et al, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 2026
STUDY TYPE: Modeling study (population-level risk estimation) with narrative review
FUNDING: Independent
Background
Alcohol is causes or contributes to over 200 health problems. Current guidelines cap intake at 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women, guidance now under review. This study modeled lifetime alcohol-attributable death and disability risk to inform that update, using CDC mortality data.
The Study
No level of alcohol was good for health.
Death risk was:
- 1 in 1,000 at 6-7 drinks a week for men and women
- 1 in 100 above 8.5 drinks a week for men and women
- 1 in 25 at 14 drinks a week
The pattern of drinking pattern also mattered, with binge episodes linked to breast cancer risk.
Here’s the breakdown by disease:
Practice Implications
While we await the US update, I’ll follow the British guidelines
- No more than 3 drinks per week
- Don’t drink two days in a row
- Drink slow, and drink 3 glasses of water for with every drink
- And I’ll add: Avoid alcohol entirely if you are over 50, have a psychiatric or medical condition that alcohol can worsen, or are taking a medication it can interact with like sedatives, benzos, and opioids.
The good news: We enjoy things more when we’re not habituated to them.
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
