Effective Communication of Cancer Risk from Alcohol Consumption: Insights from Research

Public health experts have long warned about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, citing it as a leading cause of cancer worldwide. However, getting the message across to the general public has proven to be a significant challenge. According to Jacob Rohde, an assistant professor of allied health sciences, "It's really critical that public health practitioners and other educators find ways to effectively communicate these risks to the public." A recent study conducted by Rohde and his collaborators at the National Institutes of Health aimed to explore the effectiveness of different message formats in communicating the link between alcohol and cancer.

Key Takeaways:

• The study, published in Addictive Behaviors, tested the impact of four different message formats on participants' perceptions of the link between alcohol and cancer, their cancer risk, and their intentions to change their future alcohol consumption habits.
• The use of "causal language" (e.g., "Drinking alcohol causes cancer") did not affect participants' perceptions of certainty of this link, their cancer risk, or their alcohol consumption intentions. However, this language also provoked more negative reactions from people.
• Adding "modal language" (e.g., "Drinking alcohol may cause cancer") to the messages decreased people's perception of causal certainty and cancer risk, while making the messages more credible and receptive to them.
• Health professionals need to consider the totality of effects when deciding which messages to use, as the optimal message is likely to be a complex and nuanced one.
• Public health practitioners often chase the single best message to use, but this single best message usually does not exist.

Statistics:

• Approximately 741,300 cancers are caused by alcohol globally each year.
• About a quarter of these are related to consuming just two drinks a day or less.
• Less than half of U.S. adults are aware that alcohol consumption significantly increases one's risk of developing cancer.
• 799 participants were tested in the study.

Sources:

• Rohde, J., et al. (2025). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Causal and Modal Language in Communicating the Link Between Alcohol and Cancer Risk. Addictive Behaviors, [insert journal volume and issue number or DOI].
• U.S. Office of the Surgeon General. (2025). Addictive Behaviors, [insert journal volume and issue number or DOI].