Aussies unaware too much booze ups cancer risk

Nearly half of Australians do not know excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing cancer, new research reveals.

Nearly half of Australians don’t know excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of cancer

Just under half of 2,482 people questioned by Cancer Council NSW and Monash University were unaware drinking too much alcohol increased the risk of developing cancers including breast, liver, mouth, throat and oesophagus.

The study also Australians who drank the most alcohol were the least likely to be aware of the dangers, the study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy showed.

“We really need a lot more community awareness out there about the link between alcohol and cancer because we now have enough evidence to say it’s an important risk factor,” said Kathy Chapman, director of cancer programmes at Cancer Council NSW, as reported by The Guardian.

“What we also found was those who didn’t understand the link between alcohol and cancer were also less likely to support alcohol management policies around pricing, availability, marketing and labelling.”

One-fifth of Australians drink alcohol at levels that are considered risky, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data.

Mike Daube, director of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, said the lack of understanding among Australians was worrying and urged the government to take action and better inform the public about the long-term dangers of excessive drinking.

“Consumers are being denied crucial information that might prevent many cancers and other harms,” he said. “The health of Australians should matter more than the financial health of global corporations.”