Mental Health Charity Warns Even Small Amounts of Alcohol Pose Serious Health Risks

Turn2Me, Ireland's national mental health charity, has issued a stark warning about alcohol consumption, revealing that even minimal drinking can significantly impact both physical and mental wellbeing, with new research showing increased cancer risks from less than one drink per week.

The Dublin-based charity highlighted alarming findings from recent international studies that challenge common assumptions about "safe" drinking levels. A 2025 U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory revealed that among 100 women who drink less than one drink per week, approximately 17 will develop alcohol-related cancer, rising to 19 out of 100 for daily drinkers.

The advisory declared alcohol consumption the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity. Additional research from 2025 published in the European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry journal found that adolescents with both depression and alcohol use disorders face particularly unfavourable long-term mental health outcomes.

A comprehensive 2024 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association tracked over 135,000 drinkers aged 60 and above, discovering that even moderate alcohol intake correlated with higher death rates, particularly from cancer and cardiovascular disease. The American Association for Cancer Research concluded that more than 5% of all cancers in the U.S. are attributable to alcohol use, with risks beginning at any consumption level.

Turn2Me emphasised that alcohol's impact extends beyond physical health, acting as a depressant that disrupts sleep patterns, worsens anxiety, and intensifies depression symptoms. Regular drinking can foster dependency whilst contributing to feelings of hopelessness.

Fiona O'Malley, CEO of Turn2Me:

"Alcohol is often normalised in Irish society, but the truth is that even small amounts can have serious consequences. Not only does alcohol increase risks of cancer and heart disease, it also damages our mental health by worsening anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. It also leads to next-day anxiety when people have 'the fear': anxiety about what they said or did when they were drunk. Working, childcare or running errands while hungover is significantly more stressful. We would urge people to think carefully about their drinking habits, and to remember that cutting back, or cutting out alcohol altogether, can improve both your physical and emotional wellbeing."

The charity offers up to six free counselling sessions and online peer support groups for anyone struggling with mental health issues or concerned about alcohol's impact on their mood. Support is available at www.turn2me.ie.

Turn2Me's warning comes as Ireland continues to grapple with high alcohol consumption rates, with the charity encouraging people to reconsider drinking habits that many consider normal social behaviour.