Nikki Crowley, Penn State

Many people use the new year to reflect on their relationship with alcohol. Just-released government guidelines are giving Americans another reason to consider a “dry January.”

Over the past few decades, mounting scientific evidence has shown that as little as 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day can lead to increases in the likelihood of several cancers. This prompted the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, to release a new Surgeon General Advisory on Jan. 3, 2025, warning about the link between alcohol and cancer. This report highlighted the evidence and included a call for new cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages.

The association between alcohol and cancer isn’t new news – scientists have been trying to determine the link for decades – yet most people aren’t aware of the risks and may only associate drinking with liver disease like cirrhosis. In a 2019 survey from the American Institute for Cancer Research, less than half of Americans identified alcohol as a risk factor for cancer.

Alcohol is the third-most preventable cause of cancer in the U.S, putting it just behind tobacco and obesity. As the surgeon general’s report highlights, alcohol is associated with approximately 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths every year, playing a role in breast, liver, colorectal, mouth, throat, esophagus and voice box cancer cases. Alcohol-induced cancer deaths outnumber alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities every year.

The report included the suggestion to add warning labels to alcohol similar to what is already required for tobacco products – another substance of abuse known to cause cancer.

As a neuroscientist specializing in the neurobiological effects of alcohol use and binge drinking, I am glad to see the call to action for reducing alcohol consumption in the United States.

Key takeaways of the report

With so few people aware of the links between alcohol consumption and various cancers – and the fact that the vast majority of people consume some alcohol every week – it’s easy to see why the surgeon general is calling for greater awareness. The 22-page report highlights what scientists know about the relationship between alcohol and cancer, and suggests actions for moving forward. Those include label changes on alcohol, which have not been updated since they were created in 1988.

Somewhat strikingly, breast cancer carries a large portion of this risk – making it particularly worrisome in the face of increased alcohol use among women.

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These numbers don’t only apply to heavy alcohol drinkers. While less alcohol is better, 25% of these cancer cases were in people classified as moderate drinkers – consuming, on average, fewer than two drinks per day. This means that anyone regularly drinking alcohol, even small amounts, should know about and understand the risks.

Surgeon general’s advisories are the primary way that the Department of Health and Human Services, where the Office of the Surgeon General resides, communicate health issues of great importance to the public. Surgeon general’s advisories are not necessarily breaking news, but they take the opportunity to bring public awareness to science surrounding big public health issues.

The science behind the link between alcohol and cancer

The relationship between alcohol and cancer has been clear to scientists for decades. In fact, it was highlighted in a 2016 surgeon general’s report as well, which focused on addiction more broadly.

The new report outlines the different types of evidence supporting this link. One way is through epidemiological science, which tries to understand patterns and relationships between the rates of cancer and how much alcohol people consumed. Another is through experimental animal studies, which allow scientists to understand the mechanism and causality of these connections as they apply to specific cancers. Together, studies conclusively show a link and pathway between alcohol consumption and cancer.

The surgeon general’s report highlights four key pathways through which alcohol can cause cancer. These largely focus on the ways alcohol can negatively affect your DNA, the building blocks of cells. While the healthy cells in your body divide all the time, their abnormal growth can be driven by aberrant factors like alcohol-induced DNA damage.

This DNA damage leads to uncontrollable growth of tissue instead of healthy, normal tissue growth. This abnormal tissue growth is cancer. The four pathways through which alcohol can lead to cancer highlighted in the report are:

1. The body naturally breaks alcohol down into acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde can damage and break DNA, leading to chromosomal rearrangements and tumors. This link is so strong that acetaldehyde has been classified as a carcinogen since 1999.
2. Alcohol creates reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species, sometimes called “free radicals,” are unstable molecules that contain oxygen and can further damage DNA, proteins and fats.
3. Alcohol can influence hormones, like estrogen. Alcohol can raise the amount of estrogen in the body, which may explain its link to breast cancer. This increased estrogen can influence breast tissue by causing – you guessed it – DNA damage.
4. Alcohol is a solvent, which means other things can dissolve in it. This makes it easier for carcinogens from other sources – like cigarettes and e-vapes – to be absorbed by the body when the two are consumed together.

Is any amount of alcohol safe?

The biggest question on people’s minds right now is likely “how much alcohol can I safely drink?” and the answer to that might disappoint you – probably none.

Alcohol use remains one of the most preventable risk factors for cancer. And even moderate alcohol consumption – one or fewer drinks per day – may elevate cancer risk for some types, such as breast, throat and mouth cancers.

But none of these studies can tell you what your individual risk for cancer is. The relationship between alcohol and cancer can be influenced by your genes, such as those that control the enzymes that metabolize alcohol, and other lifestyle factors that influence the rates of cancer broadly, like diet and inflammation. All of these lifestyle and personal health factors can influence how risky alcohol consumption is for you.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that if you choose to drink, consider sticking to less than one, for women, or two, for men, standard servings of alcohol per day – which might be smaller than you think, and don’t binge drink alcohol at all. The surgeon general is also suggesting a rethinking of these guidelines to include updated limits on daily alcohol consumption and greater educational efforts around the link between alcohol and cancer.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has similar recommendations around limiting alcohol consumption and advises that for people who choose to drink alcohol, “the less, the better.”

The institute offers tips on its website for managing your alcohol consumption or abstaining from alcohol consumption altogether, including finding alternative hobbies and activities, identifying what leads to your urges to drink and having a plan to handle urges, and identifying a strategy for saying “no” to an alcoholic beverage in social settings.

Nikki Crowley, Assistant Professor of Biology, Biomedical Engineering and Pharmacology, Penn State

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Anna Mae Duane, University of Connecticut

Stereotypes abound about liberal arts degrees leading to low-paying jobs, despite research showing that humanities majors earn salaries comparable to students in many other majors.

Authorities from the White House to high school guidance counselors have encouraged students to prioritize degrees in science and technology over the humanities because of their applicability to the job market. Some legislators have even argued that humanities courses should be defunded entirely.

As a result, enrollment in humanities majors in college has plummeted by 24% since 2012. Lower enrollment also means fewer people are training to teach in this field as well.

But employers value the skills that humanities majors have. Courses in art, literature, history and philosophy can provide students with life skills they can use outside the classroom too. This includes recovering from the current loneliness epidemic afflicting young people.

I’m the director of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute. Here are three scientifically proven ways that humanities classes benefit students and help them develop social skills within and beyond the classroom.

Development of empathy

As an English professor, I know that when I ask students to discuss the motivations of characters in novels, they inevitably find ways to empathize with the character as well as one another. Both narrative theory and cognitive science back this up. Spending hours immersed in the words and beliefs of other people changes students’ capacity to connect with others.

The same is true of studying history. Students can learn to view the world as a historical figure would have seen it – a concept known as “historical empathy.”

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These benefits are not restricted to those who study these subjects as their majors. Medical students who take humanities courses score higher in terms of empathy than those who didn’t. This is a vital skill for those caring for sick patients.

Enrichment of conversational skills

Research suggests that an increase in technology use has atrophied humanity’s capacity to engage in and benefit from face-to-face conversations and to empathize and respond to people in real time.

Humanities classes give students the opportunity to build and sharpen these skills. As a result, there is increasing attention paid to the importance of students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, taking these courses, too.

For example, students in humanities classes must listen to one another’s interpretations and respond, prompting deeper thinking. In one study, pharmacy students took a humanities course where they interpreted and discussed works of art that touched on themes of health care, patient experience and death. By the end of the course, they demonstrated more critical thinking and interpersonal skills, including better communication, self-awareness and ability to relate to others.

Developing the soft skills of interpersonal communication is necessary for students not only in the workplace but also in their lives as citizens.

Promotion of a sense of community

Because humanities courses engage a wide range of human experiences through reading, writing and conversation, students are able to experience other ways of living and relating. This allows them to feel a greater sense of choice in their own lives and a stronger connection to others, even those who make different choices. By studying the choices that people made long ago, students also reckon with how the actions of a few people can affect whole generations, a powerful indication of how profoundly connected people are to one another.

When students are exposed to literature written by authors from a wide range of backgrounds, they are better able to find common ground as they draw from both the author’s perspective and their teacher’s input to shape their own verbal and written responses.

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Further, because literature classes often involve collaborative discussion between instructors and students as they work together to approach the text, students see their own contributions as a necessary part of the whole.

For students from marginalized and impoverished backgrounds, the invitation to imagine other ways of life has also been shown to enhance confidence in themselves and connection to others. When these students felt that their voices were an essential part of group discussion, they reported increased feelings of self-efficacy and a greater willingness to engage with the world.

Just as educators teach students to code, they can also teach them to connect to others, understand human complexity and read emotions as skillfully as they read data. These are not just soft skills – but survival skills. I believe the greatest tool we have for combating loneliness, fostering empathy and building a more connected society isn’t silicon-based. It’s the age-old practice of engaging deeply with human stories, ideas and experiences.

Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Girl Scouts gear up for the 2025 cookie season and celebrate the last year for two iconic cookie flavors, Girl Scout S’mores®, and Toast-Yay!®.

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — Today, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) kicked off the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie® season nationally, a time when Girl Scouts everywhere hone their entrepreneurial skills as they find new and inventive ways to sell cookies, unboxing brighter futures for themselves. With the cookie season back in full swing, cookie lovers can rejoice as they indulge in the classic cookie lineup.

The 2025 cookie lineup is jam-packed with the full spread of highly sought after cookie flavors, including Thin Mints®, Samoas®/Caramel deLites®, Peanut Butter Patties®/Tagalongs® and more. At the close of the 2025 cookie season, two beloved cookie flavors, Girl Scout S’mores® and Toast-Yay!®, will be retired. Fans of S’mores® and Toast-Yay!® cookies can get their hands on their favorite sweet treats for the last time by visiting a nearby cookie booth or reaching out to a Girl Scout they know for their individual Digital Cookie® online sales link. Availability of the soon-to-be-retired varieties will vary depending on customer location. 

When girls participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, the largest entrepreneurial program in the world, they acquire a host of invaluable entrepreneurial skills, including goal setting, money management, decision-making, people skills and business ethics. Each box of cookies sold allows Girl Scouts to develop an inextinguishable entrepreneurial spirit, gaining courage, confidence and character as they conquer new feats and embark on new adventures. Girl Scouts obtain transferable life skills as they earn a variety of badges and awards, including Cookie Business badges, Financial Literacy badges, Cookie Entrepreneur Family pins and Entrepreneur badges.

“Girl Scout Cookie season is about so much more than selling the iconic cookies people know and love,” said GSUSA Chief Revenue Officer Wendy Lou. “The funds girls earn throughout the season directly power girls’ journeys in leadership, entrepreneurship and community building. The sweet success of each sale is a testament to how much girls can change the world when they put their minds to it.”

This season, GSUSA invites communities around the nation to treat themselves to their favorite cookies—and support the incredible girls behind each box. All proceeds from cookie sales stay with local councils and troops to fuel inspiring experiences for girls throughout the year, including camps, amazing trips, service projects and much more. Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized nationally from January through April, but local timing varies; please support your local Girl Scouts by ordering from a girl you know or by visiting www.girlscoutcookies.org to find a booth near you. Be sure to visit www.girlscoutcookies.org again on or after February 21 to have cookies shipped directly to your home.

How to Purchase Girl Scout Cookies This Year

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• If you know a registered Girl Scout, reach out to learn how she’s selling cookies. If you don’t know a Girl Scout, check with your local council or use the Girl Scout Cookie Finder to find a booth and purchase cookies.
  
• Beginning February 21, customers who do not already know a Girl Scout will also be able to purchase cookies to be shipped directly to their homes by entering their zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder. This link can also be used to find a local booth to purchase cookies in person and/or to donate cookies for local community causes.
  
• You can also text COOKIES to 59618 to stay informed about how to purchase Girl Scout Cookies and other exciting Girl Scout news. Learn more about the Terms and Conditions and the SMS Privacy Policy.

For more information, to join or to donate, visit girlscouts.org.

We Are Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.

SOURCE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE U.S.A.

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