MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Health experts are warning Americans about the deadly correlation between alcohol and cancer. U.S. Surgeon General Vivik Murthy on Friday announced alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States.
Chief Executive of Valley Spring Recovery Center Brian Cellary said he understands firsthand what it's like to become addicted.
“I would always binge drink," Cellary said. "I wouldn’t consider myself an alcoholic during my high school year."
It wasn't until Cellary said he experienced an ankle injury while playing college football that he discovered he needed help.
“I was prescribed opioids and that led to three-to-four years kind of down the drain of extreme opioid use," Cellary said. "And I would also use Xanax and I would drink heavily during those times, and explore with other substances."
With the help of substance abuse specialists and psychiatrists like Michael Olla, Cellary is celebrating 15 years of sobriety.
Olla said the carcinogens in alcohol contribute to genetic mutations.
“The skin that lines the esophagus is very similar to the skin that we have on the side of our cheek," Olla said. "So, it’s very easily ruined by something like alcohol ...Alcohol is a solvent, it’s an antiseptic.”
According to a new surgeon general's advisory on alcohol and cancer risk, alcohol is responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the U.S.
Olla said there's no such thing as a safe amount to drink.
“We see things like esophageal cancers, laryngeal cancers, cancers of the larynx, the voice box," Olla said. "It can affect the immune system... It’s toxic to all organs.”
If you or someone you know are considering the road to recovery, Cellary and Olla said it's a step in the right direction.
“A lot of binge drinking has been going on...all the way through the New Year," Cellary said. "It’s a good time for people to start talking about this and reaching out.”
For more information regarding Valley Spring Recovery Center, check its website.