Drinking alcohol is damaging to your health, regardless of age, sex, gender, ethnicity, tolerance for alcohol or lifestyle. Alcohol use can cause headaches, injuries and poor sleep, and increased risk of health problems like heart disease and cancer. The wide-ranging impacts of drinking alcohol can affect relationships, health and well-being. 

If you drink, consider drinking less: 

The more alcohol you drink per week, the more you increase your health risk:

• 0 drinks per week: Not drinking has benefits, such as better health, and better sleep
• 2 standard drinks or less per week: You are likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself or others at this level
• 3–6 standard drinks per week: Your risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases at this level
• 7 standard drinks or more per week: Your risk of heart disease or stroke increases significantly at this level

Every extra drink you have substantially increases the risk of alcohol-related consequences. 

Every drink counts. Any reduction in alcohol use has benefits for yourself and others.

Drinking less supports mental health

Alcohol influences how the brain functions. This can interfere with sleep and worsen mental health issues like anxiety and depression. 

Drinking less supports physical health

Alcohol has immediate and long-term effects on physical and cognitive abilities. Alcohol use increases the risk of negative health impacts such as falls, injuries, family violence, poor sleep, heart disease, stroke and cancer. 

Drinking less supports community well-being

Alcohol use can impact community safety. This can include motor vehicle collisions, noise, property damage, threat of violence and sense of safety, and other disruptions. No matter where people live, everyone deserves to be safe from alcohol-related harm.