New York State Department of Health Recognizes Alcohol Awareness Month

Excessive Alcohol Use Cited as a Leading Cause of Premature Death in U.S.

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 21, 2025) – The New York State Department of Health recognizes Alcohol Awareness Month, observed annually in April, to raise awareness about the impacts of excessive alcohol use on health and well-being.

"When drinking alcohol, it is important to consider the potential adverse health effects of alcohol on our physical, mental and social well-being," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "Excessive drinking can cause devastating impacts on individuals and their families and leads to thousands of premature deaths in New York each year. The Department and its agency partners remain committed to providing research, resources and support to people who struggle with alcohol abuse and to raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption."

New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said, "While alcohol is a legal substance, there are risks of both long and short-term health complications from excessive consumption, including the possibility of developing an addiction, and a higher risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and liver disease. OASAS oversees providers throughout the state that offer a wide range of help and support for those impacted by addiction, and it is important that New Yorkers monitor their alcohol consumption and seek help if their drinking becomes a problem"

Binge drinking and heavy drinking are two patterns of excessive alcohol use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines binge drinking as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on a single occasion. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming eight or more drinks per-week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men.

The latest findings in the Department's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report, an annual survey of adults, showed that nearly 1 in 6 adults reported excessive alcohol use in the form of either binge or heavy drinking with an estimated 14.9 percent of adults in New York State reporting binge drinking and 5.0 percent reporting heavy drinking.

Binge and heavy drinking can impact all population groups, but the BRFSS report found that binge drinking was more commonly reported in males compared to females, adults who were less than 35 years old compared to those over 55 and adults with an annual household income of $75,000 or more compared to those with lower incomes. The prevalence of binge and heavy drinking was significantly higher in adults who reported frequent mental distress, adults who currently smoke cigarettes and adults who use cannabis.

Excessive alcohol use is one of the leading causes of preventable and premature deaths in the U.S. and is responsible for more than 8,000 deaths annually in New York, and more than 178,000 deaths nationwide. Excessive drinking is also associated with both short-term and long-term health outcomes. Short-term outcomes include unintentional injuries and violence. Long-term health impacts include increased risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, liver disease, and other digestive diseases. A recent report by the United States Surgeon General found alcohol consumption is a leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least 7 types of cancer, some at even 1 or 2 drinks per day. An estimated 3.2 percent of all cancer deaths in New York State are also attributable to alcohol consumption.

The Department is dedicated to reducing the risk of alcohol-related deaths and injuries.

The New York State Alcohol Surveillance and Epidemiology Program was established in 2021 through a cooperative agreement with the CDC to conduct public health surveillance on excessive alcohol use and its related harms in New York State. The Alcohol Surveillance and Epidemiology Program works in partnership with OASAS.

The goal of the Alcohol Surveillance and Epidemiology Program is to reduce excessive alcohol use and its related harms through:

• Monitoring and sharing data on excessive alcohol use and its related harms to inform prevention efforts.
• Developing partnerships with state and local entities to collaborate on prevention efforts.
• Increasing awareness about the public health impact of excessive alcohol use among partners and the public.
• Building support for population-based policy and environmental changes to reduce excessive alcohol use.

The program convenes the Alcohol Surveillance and Epidemiology Workgroup (ASEW), a network of data experts and prevention partners brought together to examine the patterns, context, and impact of excessive alcohol use in New York State.

For more information related to excessive alcohol use and prevention, please visit the New York State Alcohol Surveillance and Epidemiology Program's resources or contact the Program at AlcoholData@health.ny.gov.

Use CDC's tool to check drinking patterns and make a personalized plan for drinking less.

For help finding treatment for alcohol or other substance dependence, treatment and prevention resources are available on OASAS' website. New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).