NYC Health Department Launches Anti-Alcohol ‘Buzzkill’ Campaign

The New York City Health Department is urging New Yorkers to cut back on alcohol consumption due to the associated risk of cancers in a new campaign dubbed “Buzzkill.” While other U.S. cities and states like Worcester, Mass., and Oregon kickstarted movements against underage drinking, drinking and driving, and excessive drinking, the NYC Health Department’s “Buzzkill” initiative marks the first time a major city is campaigning against alcohol consumption specifically for cancer risk.

The NYC DOH will publicize the campaign, which launched Monday, in a series of ads across social media, subway cars, bars, restaurants, radio stations, and other community spaces. “Buzzkill” aims to educate citizens about alcohol’s carcinogenic effects, particularly in the breasts, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box.

“While there is no safe or recommended amount of alcohol consumption, the good news is drinking less can lower the risk of cancer,” the press release reads.

The city government’s anti-alcohol messaging comes five months after the federal government removed the former daily limit from its most updated version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Previous editions of the federal guidelines urged men to limit their alcohol consumption to two drinks per day and women to just one.

The poster for NYC’s campaign features a green beer bottle with a label reading “Cancer Risk” with an accent over the ‘i’ reminiscent of Mexican-style beers. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and city health commissioner Dr. Alister Martin cosigned the poster.

Mamdani raised some eyebrows in early February after he selected Martin — an emergency physician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School — for the position. In response to Gothamist’s coverage reposted to Reddit, the site’s users were dubious about the appointment in the comments. “Don’t know anything about him,” one user said. Most commenters hoped for former health commissioner Michelle Morse to fill the role.

“New Yorkers deserve to know the truth about the risk of cancer when drinking alcohol,” Martin says in the release. “To some our data may be a buzzkill, but it’s actually their buzz that can kill.”

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