Toronto, ON (May 14, 2026) – A new Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)-led systematic review published in the journal Addiction confirms that alcohol consumption causes substantial harm to health, with some harms potentially reversible if a person reduces or stops drinking.
The review finds that more than 60 diseases and injuries are fully attributable to alcohol use, according to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (11th edition). These include conditions such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy, alcoholic liver disease including cirrhosis, and fetal alcohol syndrome—most of which are linked to heavy drinking.
Alcohol consumption is also associated with increased risk of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Alcohol can damage liver function and weaken immune responses, increasing susceptibility to infection.
In addition, alcohol contributes to a wide range of non-communicable diseases across five major categories:
- cancers (including mouth, head and neck, breast, liver and colorectal cancers)
- cardiovascular diseases (such as high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease)
- type 2 diabetes
- neuropsychiatric conditions (including dementia and epilepsy)
- gastrointestinal diseases (including cirrhosis and pancreatitis)
Researchers also found that alcohol use increases the risk of injuries. Even at low levels, alcohol impairs balance, reaction time and judgment. This can lead to a higher risk of traffic collisions, falls and violence, including harm to others.
Some of these harms may be reduced or partially reversed when alcohol use decreases or stops. Short-term risks, such as injuries or sexually transmitted infections, are closely linked to intoxication and decline when drinking stops. While the immune system may recover after stopping alcohol use, long-term heavy drinking can cause lasting damage.
For chronic conditions such as cirrhosis and heart disease, damage may not be fully reversible. However, reducing alcohol consumption can slow disease progression, and some cardiovascular effects may improve within days to weeks of abstinence. Brain changes from heavy drinking may also partially recover over time, although risks such as dementia can persist.
“Even though we now know a lot about alcohol’s effects on health, it is still controversial whether a little drinking is good for your heart,” says Dr. Jürgen Rehm, Senior Scientist in the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at CAMH and senior author of the study. “When examining both cohort studies and Mendelian randomization studies, and all their potential strengths and biases, we conclude that there is not enough evidence to rule out a beneficial effect of drinking on ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke.”
“Our review of the current evidence on alcohol's effects on health leads to a cautious but clear conclusion: alcohol is a major cause of disease and injury, and its harms outweigh any potential benefits,” adds first author Sinclair Carr, a PhD candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
This study was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIAAA).
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About the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please visit camh.ca or follow @CAMHnews on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
CAMH Communications
media@camh.ca
Sinclair Carr
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
scarr@hsph.harvard.edu