April is Alcohol Awareness Month. This is an ideal time to lower or eliminate consumption of alcohol to improve health and reduce the risk of developing dangerous diseases.
Risky substance avoidance is one of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s six pillars of good health. Alcohol disrupts sleep and poses dangers to the liver, gut, heart, brain and many other organs. It also makes people more vulnerable to diseases and increases the risk of several health conditions, including high blood pressure and stroke. In 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory stating that it was the third leading preventable cause of cancer in this country. Alcohol consumption results in a higher risk of developing at least seven forms of cancer. The types of cancer linked to alcohol, according to this advisory, include cancers of the colorectum, breast, esophagus, liver, throat, mouth and voice box.
The advisory also warned that the link between cancer and alcohol is true for all types of alcohol and that the risk for some of these cancers can increase with just one or fewer daily drinks. In other words, moderate drinking (one alcoholic drink per day for women and two for men) is still unsafe.
People who consume a moderate amount of alcohol should try to reduce the amount. They can start small: if currently consuming one alcoholic drink per day, cut out one of the days. People with a routine of going out with friends to a bar for a couple nights each week can convert one of those days into a meal or activity, such as a game, movie, sport or walk. Remember that doing so will help everyone involved. Social connections are also a pillar of good health. Work to keep one another healthy so that preventable illnesses don’t stop friends from enjoying each other’s company. Simply altering a routine can make a big difference over time.
People who think they have an alcohol use disorder or have concerns about alcohol use, can take advantage of one or more of the many available resources, all of which are focused on assistance, not judgment:
- The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is always available for those who are in immediate crisis (call, text or chat).
- There is a crisis hotline specific to veterans: dial 988, then 1 or text 838255.
- The peer-support model of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been beneficial to many people with addiction. A meeting guide that can help people find a location for a nearby regular gathering can be found at aa.org.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a 24/7 hotline for treatment referrals in English and in Spanish: 1.800.662.HELP (4357).
- Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center Adult Addiction Services provides outpatient care and treatment for clients with addiction to alcohol as well as other addictions. To set up an appointment, please call 317.880.8491.
- Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Care for Recovery at Eskenazi Health Center services are also available. These services, which are available through Eskenazi Health’s neighborhood health centers, include linkage to primary care providers, board-certified addiction providers, licensed substance use therapists, peer recovery coaches, social workers, medication-assisted treatment and group therapy. For more information, please visit the Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Care webpage. An access coordinator for Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Care for Recovery at Eskenazi Health Center can be reached at 317.880.8787.
Whether trying to recover from addiction or to reduce consumption of alcohol for health reasons, people do not have to do so without assistance. Primary care providers can walk patients through strategies and can motivate patients by discussing alcohol’s effects on their own health conditions.
There are many aspects of health people have no control over, but alcohol consumption is one people can do something about. Take a step toward a healthier life this month by cutting down on or eliminating the use of alcohol.