Protecting Their Future: Preventing the Impact of Alcohol on Youth
Susan Bragg Foster, CPS
Substance Use Prevention Assistant Director
Poe Center for Health Education
Rhianna Flory, BS
Substance Use Prevention Specialist
Poe Center for Health Education
Observing Alcohol Awareness Month
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Did you know that only 45% of American adults know that drinking alcohol can raise the risk of cancer? (Alcohol and Cancer Risk, 2025).
This month is a great time to talk about how we can protect our kids and communities. It’s also a reminder to have honest conversations with young people. As prom and graduation season gets closer, teens may face more chances to drink. These talks can help keep them safe now and in the future.
How is Alcohol Use Linked to Cancer?
In January 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General released a health warning about alcohol and cancer. It was based on growing research showing a strong connection between alcohol use and cancer (Alcohol and Cancer Risk, 2025). Here are some key facts from the warning:
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- Alcohol causes around 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. each year.
- Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco use and obesity.
- The Surgeon General suggests putting a cancer warning label on alcohol products.
- The warning also recommends updating the guidelines for alcohol use. Even small amounts of alcohol may increase cancer risk.
“Moderate drinking” means having one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. But even this level of drinking can raise cancer risk.
Surgeon General’s Recommended Action Steps
There are actions that can be taken to reduce alcohol-related cancers in the United States. Key steps include:
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- Update the existing Surgeon General’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include a warning about the risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption. Pursue changes to label characteristics to make the warning label more visible, prominent, and effective in increasing awareness about cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption.
- Reassess recommended limits for alcohol consumption to account for the latest evidence on alcohol consumption and cancer risk.
- Strengthen and expand education efforts to increase general awareness that alcohol consumption causes cancer.
- Inform patients in clinical settings about the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. Promote the use of alcohol screening and provide brief intervention and referral to treatment as needed.
- Highlight alcohol consumption as a leading modifiable cancer risk factor. Incorporate proven alcohol reduction strategies into population-level cancer prevention initiatives and plans.
- For individuals, be aware of the relationship between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk when considering whether or how much to drink. Cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol.
Starting the Conversation
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- Having open conversations about underage drinking.
- Showing clear disapproval of alcohol use.
- Taking steps to prevent it.
Research shows that if young people wait until they are 21 — or better yet, 24 to 25 — before trying alcohol, their brains will be more fully developed. This lowers their chances of developing problems with alcohol or other substances (Alcohol and Cancer Risk, 2025).
Helpful Resources
Need help starting the conversation? Here are some helpful resources to guide your talks and support healthy choices for your kids:
Modeling Healthy Choices to Reduce Use: The Role of Communities
Many things shape how young people think about alcohol. One of the most powerful influences is adults. When adults make healthy choices around alcohol, it helps shape how kids see what is normal or expected.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, rules about indoor gatherings changed. Now, more places allow alcohol to be used outdoors and in public spaces—even in areas where families gather. To help reach the Surgeon General’s goal of lowering alcohol use, it’s important for communities to think carefully about where alcohol is allowed. When alcohol use becomes common in family-friendly places, it may send the wrong message to kids. This could lead to more underage drinking and other problems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives advice to help communities support healthy choices. Their ideas include creating places where adults model healthy behaviors and kids feel supported to make safe choices.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommendations to help communities create social and physical environments that support healthy choices and positive modeling.
To learn more, check out the CDC’s resource: Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use with Proven Strategies from CDC.
Educating: The Power of Prevention
Knowledge is power. Did you know that peers play a big factor in youths’ attitudes towards alcohol? Youth who have peers who drink alcohol are more likely to use alcohol themselves. The Poe Center has multiple programs that address peer pressure and starting the conversation with youth about the risks of alcohol use. These programs are for upper elementary, middle, and high school students.
The Poe Center also offers sessions for parents and caregivers. These programs talk about:
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- Current trends in youth alcohol use
- Health risks of alcohol and other substances
- Tips for talking to your child about alcohol and other substances
You can learn more about these programs at poehealth.org.
The Home: A Key Prevention Area
Did you know that most kids who drink alcohol—about 75%—say they got it at home or a friend’s house? That’s why it’s so important for parents and caregivers to monitor and secure alcohol at all times to prevent youth access.
The Talk It Up, Lock It Up!TM campaign offers simple steps to keep your home safe:
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- Monitor: Keep track of how much and what kind of alcohol is in your home.
- Secure: Lock up alcohol in a cabinet, fridge or closet. You can find locks designed for those spaces at most hardware stores or online.
You can also take the Talk It Up. Lock It Up!TM pledge and start having these important conversations with your child today.
References/ Citations:
Alcohol and Cancer Risk. (2025, January 17). HHS.gov. Alcohol and Cancer Risk.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). (2025, January 29). Alcohol and Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol and Cancer.
Get The Facts About Underage Drinking. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (n.d.). Get The Facts About Underage Drinking.
Liu, M., Zhao, W. Q., Zhao, Q. R., Wang, Y., & Li, S. G. (2023). The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. The impact of the peer effect on adolescent drinking behavior: instrumental-variable evidence from China.
Lock it up! Talk It Up. Lock It UpTM. (n.d.). Talk It Up. Lock It UpTM
Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use with Proven Strategies. (2024, December 12). Alcohol Use. Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use with Proven Strategies.
Nawaz, A. (2025, January 3). U.S. Surgeon General Explains Why He’s Calling For Cancer Warnings On Alcohol. PBS News. U.S. Surgeon General Explains Why He’s Calling For Cancer Warnings On Alcohol.
Winters, K. C., & Arria, A. (2011). Adolescent Brain Development and Drugs. The Prevention Researcher, 18(2), 21–24. Adolescent Brain Development and Drugs.
Featured Program:
Participants of In The Know will receive the latest research about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, as well as explore how substance use could impact their lives now and in the future. This program will cover important resources and decision-making skills to empower healthy choices that impact not only their developing brains and bodies but also their families, friends, and futures. In the Know is an interactive session engaging participants with group discussion, videos and activities.
Program Participants: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Program Length: 60 minutes
Featured Resource:
Whether you’re just starting to take a look at your drinking or have already decided to cut back or quit, you’ll find helpful tools from the National Institute of Health such as worksheets, drink calculators, and more.