Within the European Union — the region with the highest alcohol consumption in the world — alcohol was responsible for more than 111,000 new cancer cases in 2020.
Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer throughout Europe. According to experts, stricter government policies to limit its consumption could prevent thousands of cancer cases and deaths each year, Euronews reported.
Within the European Union — the region with the highest alcohol consumption in the world — alcohol was responsible for more than 111,000 new cancer cases in 2020, according to a new scientific review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Globally, the number of cases reached around 741,000, with men accounting for nearly 70% of new diagnoses.
Beyond the devastating health effects, the economic losses are also significant. According to WHO data, premature deaths from alcohol-related cancer cost €4.58 billion in 2018.
“The WHO European Region, and particularly EU countries, are paying too high a price for alcohol — with preventable cancer cases, broken families, and billions lost to taxpayers,” said Dr. Gundo Weiler, Head of the Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at WHO Europe.
“Some call alcohol a ‘cultural heritage,’ but disease, death, and disability should not be normalized as part of European culture,” he added.
How Alcohol Causes Cancer
IARC classified alcohol as a carcinogen back in 1988. According to the agency, alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer — of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast in women.
Researchers believe that alcohol causes cancer through several mechanisms, including hormonal changes, disruption of the gut microbiome, and DNA damage caused by oxidative stress and acetaldehyde — a toxic byproduct of ethanol metabolism.
Reducing or completely abstaining from alcohol lowers the risk of developing these cancers. Most alcohol-related cancer cases are linked to risky drinking (between two and six drinks per day) and heavy drinking (more than six drinks daily).
However, even moderate consumption (fewer than two drinks per day) accounted for over 100,000 new cancer cases worldwide in 2020, the report states.
Strategies to Reduce the Risk
The new analysis marks the first time IARC has assessed the potential benefits of preventing alcohol-related cancers.
“There is no doubt that public policies restricting alcohol consumption reduce drinking levels — and lower alcohol consumption means a lower risk of cancer,” said IARC Director Dr. Elisabete Weiderpass.
The agency recommends a range of measures: raising excise taxes and setting minimum pricing; increasing the legal drinking age; limiting the number and operating hours of alcohol outlets; banning alcohol advertising; and implementing state control over sales.
According to IARC, all of these policies lead to lower consumption and a reduced cancer burden.
For instance, a 2021 study found that doubling alcohol taxes could prevent 6% of new cases and deaths from alcohol-related cancer across the WHO European Region.
“Raising awareness that there is no safe level of drinking is crucial,” said Dr. Béatrice Lauby-Secretan, Deputy Head of the Evidence Synthesis and Classification Section at IARC.
“Everyone has a role to play in changing current norms and attitudes toward alcohol use,” she added. | BGNES
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