Rethink Your Drinking: Cancer Matters

What was in your glass when you toasted in the New Year matters more than you may think. That’s because when it comes to alcohol, the more you drink, the higher the risk of cancer. The Middlesex-London Health Unit, in partnership with other health units across the province, is drawing attention to the links between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing cancer through the Rethink Your Drinking campaign.

According to estimates from Cancer Care Ontario, up to 3,000 cancer cases across the province in 2010 could be attributed to alcohol. Reducing your alcohol intake can lower the risk of colorectal, breast and liver cancer as well as cancers of the head and neck.

There is no clear safe limit for alcohol use.  It also doesn’t matter what type of alcohol you drink – beer, spirits or wine – alcohol is alcohol.  To reduce your risk of cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends less than 1 standard drink a day for women and less than 2 standard drinks a day for men.  The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has a great “Cancer and Alcohol” resource that can be used by healthcare professionals and/or patients.

The Rethink Your Drinking campaign is a province-wide effort designed to help change perceptions about alcohol use. For more information and resources, visit www.rethinkyourdrinking.ca/cancer