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Alcohol and Cancer

Drinking any type or amount of alcohol increases your risk of 9 different types of cancers including head and neck, breast, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, colorectal, and liver cancers.

Canadian Cancer Society's Recommendation

The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that you limit alcohol. To reduce your cancer risk, it’s best not to drink alcohol. Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health outlines the health risks of alcohol and can help you make an informed decision on whether you drink and how much.

If you choose to drink alcohol, keep your cancer risk as low as possible by having no more than 2 standard drinks a week. The less alcohol you drink, the lower your cancer risk.

How much is 1 drink?

One standard drink is about:

142 mL (5 oz) of wine, 12% alcohol content

43 mL (1.5 oz) of spirits, 40% alcohol content

341 mL (12 oz) of beer or cider, 5% alcohol content

The link between alcohol and cancer

View the infographic