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New Health Report Assesses Alcohol Use and Alcohol-related Cancers Among New York City Adults

Alcohol Strongly Linked To At Least Seven Types Of Cancer

Liquor Store Density Associated With Heavy Drinking

September 3, 2025 — The New York City Health Department today released a new report, Alcohol Use And Alcohol-Related Cancers Among New York City Adults. From 2017 to 2021, there were an average of about 3,400 new colorectal cancer cases, 1,000 new liver cancer cases, and more than 6,600 new female breast cancer cases each year in the city. Alcohol is strongly linked to at least seven types of cancer: mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, colorectal, and female breast. The new report comes at a time when the federal government is shutting down the CDC program that helps protect people from the health harms associated with alcohol.

“Since day one, our administration has been focused on tackling cancer and other health issues head-on because every New Yorker deserves a fair shot at a healthy life. That is why we launched our ambitious 'HealthyNYC' agenda to extend the average life expectancy of New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “While we are making important strides, this report from the Health Department is a clear reminder that our work to build a healthier city for all New Yorkers is far from over. It's especially concerning to see how the density of liquor stores in a neighborhood is linked to heavy drinking, and how this disproportionately affects communities of color. We are committed to increasing awareness of the risks of alcohol use and ensuring that everyone has access to the life-saving cancer screenings and the quality care they need."

“Alcohol use is common among adults, but its connection to certain cancers is not widely known,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “We encourage New Yorkers to make cancer screenings a part of their routine primary care. Early detection saves lives. It makes treatment easier and improves outcomes, especially for New Yorkers at greater risk. Black women face higher death rates from breast cancer than any other racial or ethnic group. That is a clear indication that cancer screening and treatment is not accessible in a fair way, and we have a responsibility to change that.”

In the U.S., only about half of adults recognize that alcohol use increases cancer risk. Working to create greater public awareness of the health risks of alcohol, in conjunction with implementing evidence-based policies, could decrease alcohol-related premature deaths, promote early cancer detection, and lead to cost savings for society.

Findings

Alcohol-related cancer cases differed by sex assigned at birth, and race and ethnicity.

  • In 2017-2021, colorectal cancer rates in New York City were higher among males than females (40 vs. 29 per 100,000). Black and white males had higher rates than Latino and Asian and Pacific Islander (API) males (43/42 vs. 35/38 per 100,000). Rates were also higher among Black and white females compared with Latina and API females (32/32 vs. 24/26 per 100,000).
  • Liver cancer rates were three times higher among males (13 per 100,000) than females (4 per 100,000). Among API and Latino males, liver cancer rates were higher than Black and white males (21/18 vs. 15/10 per 100,000). Likewise, rates were higher among API and Latino females than Black and white females (7/7 vs. 5/4 per 100,000).
  • Female breast cancer rates were higher among white females (147 per 100,000) than Black, Latina, or API females (125, 94, and 111 per 100,000). However, the rate of death due to breast cancer was highest among Black females (22 per 100,000) compared with other racial and ethnic groups (9 to 17 per 100,000).

Liquor store density is associated with heavy drinking.

  • Increased alcohol retailer density (the number of licensed alcohol retailers per population within a geographic area) is associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
  • New York City neighborhoods with the highest density of liquor stores also had the highest prevalence of heavy drinking (12%), about three times higher than in neighborhoods with the lowest liquor store density (4%).

Males and New Yorkers living in households with higher income were more likely to drink alcohol.

  • In 2023, half of adult New Yorkers drank any alcohol in the past 30 days, including 7% who drank heavily (more than two drinks per day, on average, for males and more than one drink per day, on average, for females).
  • Males were more likely to drink any alcohol than females (56% vs. 46%), but heavy drinking was similar among males and females (6% vs. 8%).
  • White adults were more likely to drink any alcohol than Black, Latino, API, or other adults of any other racial and ethnic group (65% vs. 45%, 45%, 35%, and 47%).
  • Adults in households with high income were almost twice as likely to drink alcohol as those living in households with low income (69% vs. 36%) and about three times as likely to drink alcohol heavily (11% vs. 4%).

Heavy alcohol drinking was more common among white adults, regardless of sex assigned at birth.

  • Overall, in 2022-2023 heavy drinking was more than twice as common among white adults than Black, Latino, or API adults (13% vs. 3% to 4%).
  • White males had a higher prevalence of heavy drinking than Black, Latino, or API males (10% vs. 2-4%).
  • White females had a higher prevalence of heavy drinking than Black, Latina, or API females (15% vs. 4-5%).
  • White and Black females had higher rates of heavy drinking than their male counterparts (15% vs. 10% and 5% vs. 2%, respectively).

Only two thirds of females who drank heavily were recently screened for breast cancer.

  • Early detection of cancer by screening can make treatment easier and improve outcomes, including mortality. Among the seven cancers for which alcohol is a clear risk factor, universal age-based screening is recommended for colon and breast cancer. Current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advise screening for breast cancer starting at age 40 7 and for colon cancer at age 45, 8 with people at high risk often needing to start earlier.
  • In 2022-2023, among NYC adults ages 45 to 75 who drank heavily, about three quarters (76%) were up to date with colon cancer screening. Screening rates were lower for API adults than white adults. Rates were similar across other racial/ethnic groups.
  • Among females ages 40 to 74 who drank heavily, about two thirds (66%) were up to date with breast cancer screening. Screening rates were similar across racial/ethnic groups (60% to 70%).

HealthyNYC, the City’s campaign for increasing New Yorkers’ life expectancy, includes a key aim of reducing deaths from screenable cancers (breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, and cervical) by 20% by 2030. To achieve this goal, the City and its partners will make robust efforts to address key risk factors for cancer, link New Yorkers to effective screenings, and support access to high-quality medical care.

"The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s report confirms what we know to be true: alcohol use can be deadly,” said Robert Pezzolesi, Convener, Interfaith Public Health Network. “It’s why we’ve worked hard to stop the MTA from allowing sleek alcohol advertising on trains and buses and in stations. No New Yorker should be forced to see ads for a product shown to be one of the leading preventable causes of cancer."

"The American-Italian Cancer Foundation commends the New York City Health Department for this important report highlighting the critical link between alcohol use and cancer risk,” said Cristina Aibino, Executive Director of the American-Italian Cancer Foundation. “By bringing no-cost mammograms and education directly to communities, the American-Italian Cancer Foundation is helping NYC women understand their risk and access early detection, when treatment is most effective. Public awareness of these connections remains far too low, and efforts like this are essential for empowering individuals to make informed health decisions and seek life-saving cancer screenings."

"Many people may not be aware that alcohol use has been associated with many cancers, and increased alcohol use can escalate your risk for cancer," said Matthew Weissman, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine, Maimonides Health. "Connecting with a primary care doctor is a great way to discuss individual cancer risks, appropriately screen for cancers, and strategize on ways to reduce risks including decreasing or eliminating alcohol intake."

Recommendations

Addressing social and commercial determinants is vital to prevent the health impacts, including cancer, of alcohol use. The report concludes with strategies to reduce alcohol use, including, but not limited to the following.

Community-Based Organizations, Public Health Practitioners, and Social Service Providers

  • Communicate effectively and respectfully about alcohol use, cancer, and health inequities. E.g. use person-first language (“people who drink alcohol” instead of “drinkers”).
  • Implement projects that address excess alcohol promotion, availability, or use. Refer to the Race to Justice Action Kit for best practices on meaningfully engaging communities.

Health Care Providers

  • Assess alcohol use at every visit with a substance use screening tool such as TAPS. When asking patients about alcohol use, use neutral, person-centered language. Share information about the health risks of alcohol use.
  • Offer patients harm reduction strategies, including learning how to set goals and drink more safely. See Mindful Drinking: How To Reduce Your Risk of Alcohol-Related Harms for patient-level tips.

Public Health Researchers, Funders, and Policymakers

  • Convene and fund communities most impacted by alcohol use and its negative health and social outcomes in planning research and developing communication materials.
  • Fund education campaigns to raise awareness of alcohol-related cancer risks and where to get screenings.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Press Office PressOffice@health.nyc.gov