Limit alcohol

Alcohol and cancer risk

A large body of evidence consistently shows that consumption of alcohol is a risk factor for cancer. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of mouth & throat cancer (larynx and pharynx), oesophagal cancer, bowel cancer (colon and rectum), liver cancer and female breast cancer.

Cancer sites related to alcohol It's not just heavy drinking - even small amounts of alcohol increases risk, but the more you drink, the greater the risk.

Despite some evidence that drinking regular, small amounts of alcohol (e.g. red wine) may reduce heart disease in older adults, there's no evidence that alcohol helps protect you from any type of cancer.

Your risk of cancer is the same for all types of alcohol including beer, wine and spirits.

How much should I drink?

To reduce the risk of cancer, you should limit your intake of alcohol or, better still, avoid it all together.

For those who do drink alcohol, we recommend no more than 2 standard drinks a day.

We also recommend those who drink avoid binge drinking (a single occasion of heavy drinking over a short period of time) and have at least 1 or 2 alcohol-free days each week.

Tips for drinking less

If you choose to drink:

Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones like sparkling or plain water (soda, lime and bitters is a great alternative to alcohol).
Eat some food when you drink alcohol. Think of a glass of wine or beer as something to have with a meal rather than on its own.
Dilute alcoholic drinks, for example, try a shandy (beer and lemonade) or white wine and mineral water.
Choose a low-alcohol (or no-alcohol) beer and/or wine.
Use water to quench your thirst and sip alcoholic drinks slowly.
Offer to be the designated driver when you go out so you drink less, but make sure you stay under .05.