Moderate or even minimal alcohol use is considered risky for some individuals, including those with a personal or family history of alcoholism or liver disease. For women, use of alcohol is linked to a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with nondrinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink per day have a small increase in breast cancer risk, and those who drink two to five drinks per day have about one and a half times the risk compared to women who do not drink alcohol. In addition, drinking during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects and is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation.

Long-term, heavy drinking (three or more drinks a day) increases the risk of liver disease, damage to the brain and pancreas, high blood pressure (hypertension), and hemorrhagic stroke. It can also cause heart disease by damaging the heart muscle itself.

Furthermore, people who have had a heart attack may be at greater risk of developing high blood pressure or further damage to the heart muscle as a result of drinking alcohol. Also, medications such as antidepressants, antibiotics and painkillers do not interact well with alcohol.

Excessive drinking can be a serious health hazard. When an individual drinks, some alcohol is absorbed directly into the stomach lining, some is broken down by enzymes in the stomach and the rest is absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream. The alcohol-rich blood then circulates through all the organs of the body, including the heart and brain. Some research has suggested that excessive alcohol use can destroy brain cells, and it has been associated with various types of heart disease. For example, it can lead to alcoholic cardiomyopathy, in which the heart is abnormally enlarged, thickened and/or stiffened, reducing its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body.

Periods of heavy drinking may cause heart rhythm disturbances in some people. Holiday heart syndrome is a condition in which individuals develop a rapid heart rate (atrial fibrillation) after heavy alcohol use. If the person is young and has no other underlying heart disease, including alcoholic heart disease, then the heart rhythm will ordinarily return to normal in a few hours. Treatment is usually unnecessary in these people. If the person does have underlying coronary heart disease, then he or she may be at increased risk for a heart attack once the rapid and abnormal alcohol-induced rhythm develops. Most people experiencing holiday heart syndrome have no real knowledge as to whether they have underlying heart disease. Therefore, anyone experiencing this abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) should seek immediate medical attention.

The liver is another organ that is strongly affected by alcohol. When the liver is breaking down alcohol, it is not performing any of its usual functions. Over time, large amounts of alcohol can contribute to the buildup of toxins and other harmful materials in the liver, causing permanent damage. Eventually, the patient may be diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, characterized by scarring, fat clogs (also known as “fatty liver”) and/or impaired blood flow through the liver itself. People only have one liver, and the failure of this organ will lead to death in the absence of a liver transplant.

Other health problems that can result from heavy/binge drinking include high blood pressure, stroke and breast cancer. Furthermore, heavy drinking tends to impair judgment, which could increase the likelihood of domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, having an accident on the job and so forth. Not only could this harm the drinker, but it could also harm other people present at the time of injury. Indirectly, family and friends are often hurt emotionally and financially as well.