Steady Drinking Triples Mouth Cancer Risk

By Valerie Tejeda 02/06/12

Drinkers are largely unaware that they're in increased danger from various kinds of cancer.

Be careful how much booze you put in it.

Just two large glasses of a wine a day or two pints of beer a day can triple your risk of mouth cancer according to the UK government, which is launching an ad campaign under its "Change4Life" program, to highlight the dangers of drinking. A campaign survey found 85% of respondents were unaware that drinking more than the recommended limit raises their risk for breast cancer; 65% don't know that drinking increases the risk of bowel cancer, 63% don't realize it raises the risk of pancreatitis and 59% are unaware that excessive drinking increases the chances of mouth, throat and neck cancers. "It's crucial we support people to know about how drinking too much poses risks to their health and how they can take control of their drinking,” says UK health secretary Andrew Lansley. “It can be easy to slip into the habit of having a few extra drinks each day, especially when drinking at home. But there can be serious health risks. Don't let drinking sneak up on you.” Change4Life will also offers an online Drinks Checker to help people keep track of how much alcohol they consume.

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