FACT #4: Did You Know?

In 1988, the IARC identified alcoholic beverages as a Group 1 carcinogen, with sufficient evidence that they cause cancer in humans. The more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time, the higher the risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer, such as: bowel, oesophagus, throat, mouth, and liver cancer. Alcohol can also increase the levels of some hormones, such as oestrogen, which increases the risk of breast cancer. There is also clear evidence of an increased risk of cancer from light to moderate alcohol consumption. Research has identified three main strategies of the alcohol industry with regard to cancer information on alcohol industry or alcohol industry funded materials; Denial/omission (denying, omitting or disputing the evidence that alcohol consumption increases cancer risk) Distortion (mentioning cancer, but misrepresenting the risk); and Distraction (focussing discussion away from the independent effects of alcohol on common cancers). (Ref. Petticrew et al. Drug and Alcohol Review 2018;37(3):293-303)