Irish drinkers consume 700 times recommended alcohol exposure threshold

On average, Irish alcohol drinkers consume about 37g of alcohol per day, which is more than 700 times the recommended exposure level set by the European Food Safety Authority to prevent cancer from food and drinks.

This stark message was delivered by Prof Peter Anderson, Substance Use, Policy and Practice, Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, England at the first day of the Official Conference of European Week Against Cancer, hosted by the Irish Cancer Society in partnership with the Association of Cancer Leagues to mark Ireland’s Presidency of the EU.  Alcohol, a known carcinogenic or cancer causing agent, causes one in 10 cancers in men and one in 33 cancers in women – a total of 900 new cancer cases each year in Ireland.

Alcohol consumption can cause cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, and rectum in both men and women, and is a cause of breast cancer in women. Three people in Ireland die from oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC) every week – which is more than skin melanoma or cervical cancer.

Drinking one standard alcoholic drink a day is associated with a 9% increase in the risk of developing breast cancer, while drinking three to six standard drinks a day increases the risk by 41%.

Speaking at the Official Conference of European Week Against Cancer 2013, Prof Peter Anderson said, “The guidelines for alcohol consumption are not strong enough, particularly when considering it as a carcinogenic. By comparison, there are more stringent guidelines in place for restricting the use of pesticides on fruit than there is for controlling alcohol consumption in humans. From a public health perspective, the Irish government should legislate against alcohol advertising and sponsorship as has been the case for tobacco.  Research has proven that alcohol marketing increases the likelihood of adolescents consuming alcohol. Alcohol advertising helps foster more favourable drinking experiences and promotes social approval for consumption. It will not be possible for Irish society to develop a healthier relationship with alcohol if alcohol continues to be marketed in such an aggressive fashion.”

Kathleen O'Meara, Head of Advocacy and Communications, Irish Cancer Society, said, “Ireland has one of the highest rates of cancer in the world and we can no longer ignore the impact of alcohol. We now know that one in ten cancers in men and one in 33 in women are caused by drinking. When people smoke as well as drink, the two work in combination to substantially increase the risk of cancer. Alcohol and tobacco are estimated to account for about three-quarters of oral cancer cases in Europe.”

Kathleen O’Meara added, “Cutting the number of people who will get cancer will require all decision makers to make this a priority issue and work together to develop solutions.This approach is a cornerstone of the Irish Cancer Society’s strategy 2013 – 2017 – Towards a Future Without Cancer and by bringing cancer experts together will help policy makers to identify ways to reduce the cancer rate in Ireland. We must work now to develop new programmes so that more people can become aware of how they can reduce their risk of cancer, especially those in marginalised communities and lower socio-economic groups.”

Alcohol increases the risk of seven different types of cancer. By cutting down on the amount you drink, you can cut down on your chances of contracting cancer. Even if you are a heavy drinker, it is not too late to reduce your risk. Scientists have found that the risk of mouth, throat and oesophageal cancers reduces over time in people who have given up drinking.

“Alcohol is one of the key determinants not only for cancer but also of other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, it is crucial that we work together to make the European public aware of the risks of drinking too much alcohol.’ says Professor Maja Primiz-Zakelj, President of the Association of European Cancer Leagues.”  Public awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption and cancer remain relatively low, though research conclusively pointing out the alcohol is a carcinogen was conducted in 1987.

A Eurobarometer report in 2010 found that one in 10 European citizens did not know that there was a link between alcohol and cancer and one in five did not know that that drinking alcohol increases the risk of getting cancer.

Other stakeholders that are collaborating with the Irish Cancer Society for the Official Conference of European Week Against Cancer 2013 include the World Health Organisation, European Week Against Cancer, European Partnership Action Against Cancer and the Association of European Cancer Leagues. The two day conference is being held in the Aviva Stadium and day two will focus on strategies for tobacco control.

For further information about cancer risk or the Irish Cancer Society please call 01 231 0500 or browse this website.

Information sources:

• Anderson, P., Møller, L. & Galea, G. (Eds.) Alcohol in the European Union. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization, 2012. 
• Lachenmeier, D.W., Przybylski, M.C., Rehm, J. Comparative risk assessment of carcinogens in alcoholic beverages using the margin of exposure approach. Int. J. Cancer: 131, E995–E1003 (2012)
• Alcohol Action Ireland, How much do we drink?
• International Agency for Research on Cancer (2010).Alcohol consumption and ethyl carbamate.Lyons, International Agency for Research on Cancer.
• Alcohol Action Ireland, Alcohol and Cancer
• Alcohol Health Alliance UK, Alcohol and Cancer, March 2013
• Castellsague, X., et al., Independent and joint effects of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking on the risk of esophageal cancer in men and women.Int J Cancer, 1999. 82(5): p. 657-64. PubMed
• Rehm, R., et al., Alcohol drinking cessation and its effect on esophageal and head and neck cancers: A pooled analysis. Int J Cancer, 2007. 121(5): p. 1132-7. PubMed